Them vsYou vsMe
by Andrew's Slinky
Summary: Phoenix Hamilton doesn't want to be a hero, her whole family is comprised of heroes and she doesn't exactly fit in with her family. SO when her parole leads her to Sky High, the friends she makes may change her mind...if she makes it out alive Warren/OC
1. Talking to the Walls

Disclaimer: I own Peyton, Phoenix, and their parents and family, that's it, also the plot

Disclaimer: I own Peyton, Phoenix, and their parents and family, that's it, also the plot.

Summary: Peyton Lynn Hamilton is daughter to Penelope; granddaughter to Tessa; Phoenix Trinity Hamilton is daughter to Melinda, granddaughter to Annie. They're powerful supers, and very close friends. Together, they're the most obnoxious yet endearing force that the kids at Sky High have ever encountered.

Phoenix Trinity Hamilton has the square jaw of her Grandma Annie, the light green eyes of her father Wyatt, the dark hair of all Hamilton women, and the passionate rebellion that was all her own. She hated being a Hamilton. She hated being the good guy but most of all she hated being alone.

Black Converse-encased feet pounded the asphalt beneath. Muscular arms pumped next to an equally muscular, yet soft body, and a passionate, brilliant brain pounded with adrenaline and blood. Phoenix often danced around with law enforcement, and it wasn't the first time that she had to run from the cops. It wouldn't be the last either, not if she had anything to say about it. But hopefully, it would be the last time she got caught.

She knew that she couldn't outrun a police cruiser; she knew that she couldn't fly; she knew that she couldn't do gymnastics, but knowing that she couldn't didn't stop her from trying all the same. So that was the reason that her feet were still pounding asphalt and her arms were still pumping. She liked to push the envelope, push the rules, push herself. She lived for it.

"Damn!" she swore as she hit a fence, wooden, not chain link. She couldn't get herself over it without a little super oomph. So she cheated. She used her levitation, but only got halfway, her hands just barely on the top of the fence when a pair of hands grasped her ankles.

"Ugh!" She hit the asphalt with a vengeance and heard rather than felt the skin on her palms rip open with a combination of asphalt and splinters.

"Nice try, Phoenix," came a masculine voice as her ripped palms were taken and shoved into handcuffs.

"Oh c'mon Rick," she complained to the familiar officer as he read her the rights entitled to her by law and put her in the back of his cruiser.

"Sorry Phoenix, you know I can't let this one go," he told her with a soft smile. Rick had been a little bit of a hood rat himself and while he never said it, it was obvious that he had a soft spot for the rebellious girl.

"C'mon Rick, it was just a little B and E, no worries," she smiled, wishing that she had learned how to get out of handcuffs, but she had never had to, because they had never put her in them before. She hated new tricks.

"Major worries, P. H. You know I can't let you get out of this. Besides Mr. Hue is out of his mind with kids breaking into his store."

Phoenix rolled her eyes. Mr. Hue was the crazy Japanese man who lived above and owned a Chinese food restaurant. He didn't even realize that the food he was peddling and the nationality that he was were different, but somehow, he always managed to realize that it was she and her best buddies breaking into his store. It was really nothing more than a few dollars lifted from his cash register, or the tip jar. They never broke anything, and they never hurt anyone.

"C'mon, kid." They were at the police station, "You know the drill." Rick let her out of the car and led her up the steps. He put her in the holding cell and undid her handcuffs. She sent him a soft smile that he returned before stepping across the six by nine and sitting on a bench against the wall. She pushed her feet out in front of her, and tried to decide on whether or not she wanted to bust out.

"Phoenix, hey babe, what you back in for?" Joanne, probably the most permanent fixture in the Juvenile Detention Hall asked as she came to Phoenix's side of the cell, sitting next to her friend and brushing her bangs from her eyes.

"Another B and E, what you in for Jo? I thought your dad went wild on you?" Phoenix asked as she threw an arm around her friend.

"Yeah he did, totally went Rambo on my ass, but whatever, I mean, I'm good at what I do, so who cares?" Joanne replied.

"If you're so good, why the hell are you back in here?" asked Kendall, the third of the trio of rule breakers, as she was let into the cell and let out of her cuffs. Her red hair was cropped close to her head and her grey eyes narrowed at the pair on the bench. While the three girls often were thrown into a cell together they had never committed a crime together; they ran in different circles except when incarcerated.

"What is this, repeat offender day?" asked Phoenix as she reached out and slapped hands with Kendall, who just sent her a happy smile.

"Hey my sisters from other misters, how you doin'?" asked the third member as she sat on the floor by the identical pairs of Converse sneakers.

"Bored as hell man, I mean, can you believe this? I hate this holder, just take my picture and let me out." Joanne replied and Phoenix laughed.

"You are so stereotypical, Jo. I mean, a teenager without boundaries always in jail, you need to stop conforming," she teased and Joanne laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, and look at you, a troubled little rich girl, get over yourself, man. The only non-stereotypical chick in here is Kendall."

The three girls laughed as Rick reappeared.

"All right, Phoenix, lets go." He opened the cell door and Phoenix sighed as she stood up, leaving her jailbird friends with a smile as Rick lead her down the adjoining hallway and into the photo booth.

"You know the drill, P.H.," he called to her as she held up her placard in front of her, to the left, to the right. She rolled her eyes the entire time.

--

"One call," Rick told her, giving her a quarter for the payphone. Phoenix sighed and resisted the urge to pocket the quarter and pretend that she couldn't get through, but she couldn't stay all night, not again; she just got in more trouble for fighting when behind bars.

She put the quarter in with a sigh and dialed. She waited as the phone rang twice before someone finally picked it up.

"Hello?"

Great, it was her sister.

"Hey Persephone, uh, it's me…"

"Phoenix?" was the fake blonde's reply and Phoenix resisted the urge to verbally slap her sister.

"Yeah, listen, tell Mom that I need some bail money."

"Again, Phoenix?" asked Persephone, her voice transforming perfectly into the disappointment that Phoenix expected, maybe even looked for.

"Yeah, are you gonna help me out or not?" she asked and there was a silence on the other end of the line and just when she was about to hang up, thinking that her sister had abandoned her yet again, there was an answer.

"I'll be there, but you owe me." The line went dead and Phoenix sent Rick a grim smile.

"She comin'?" he asked her and she nodded.

"Yeah, unfortunately."

--

Phoenix slammed her gym bag down on the foyer floor to her parent's manor and wished that she had just pocketed that quarter; she could already hear her mother's footsteps down the hall.

"Phoenix Trinity Hamilton!"

Phoenix rolled her eyes and opened the fridge. She reached down to the second shelf just as her mother's expensive heels appeared at the base of the refrigerator and she could just feel the bile rise in her throat.

"What?" the teenager sighed as she pulled a soda from the fridge and looked over her shoulder at her mother.

"I refuse to get another call from the police station saying that you've vandalized another store!"

Phoenix rolled her eyes and opened the freezer, blocking her mother's face from view.

"Whoa, dream big!" she remarked as she just stood in front of the freezer, letting all the cold air out, not looking for anything to eat, just doing it to up the bill.

"Phoenix, I don't know what to do with you. You are risking exposure to us all."

"Exposure?" thundered Phoenix, slamming the freezer door shut. "I never once used my powers to help me do anything! I don't even use them when you want me to! I have never risked exposure to anybody!"

"Do not raise your voice to me, young lady," her mother replied, anger to her tone.

"Whatever." Phoenix rolled her eyes and grabbed a hold of her gym bag before thundering up the stairs, leaving her mother still in the kitchen, seething.

"God I hate her," the teenager groaned as she opened the door to her bedroom, aptly decorated with police tape and signs to keep out. She threw her bag to the floor, just under the window on the opposite side of the room and flopped dramatically onto her black covered bed.

"Talking to the walls?"

Phoenix looked over her shoulder at the teenage girl in her room and rolled her eyes, not answering before turning back and closing her eyes once more.

"So, how'd it go?" asked Peyton, Phoenix's cousin and best friend. Phoenix opened one eye to look at her friend and sighed, tossing her arm over her eyes.

"Better than usual, this fight was shorter, it was kinda like the Cliffs Notes version," she explained and Peyton nodded.

"And don't worry, I didn't name names," Phoenix answered before her cousin could even ask the question. Peyton flopped onto the queen-sized bed next to her cousin and hugged her tight.

"Oh thank God, my mom would murder me."

"Yeah, yeah, you can let go now," Phoenix growled, rolling away from her cousin and standing up, grabbing her gym bag and opening it up, pulling a wad of money from its depths and tossing it to her cousin.

"There's your cut," she told her and Peyton gasped.

"How did you get away with this?" she asked her cousin in awe. Phoenix just shrugged.

"Don't worry about it," she said, and at her cousin's disbelieving look she sighed and explained further, "I tossed the bag before the cops caught me, they didn't see me drop it, so I made Persephone take me back and I picked it up."

"Thank you." Peyton leaped up and hugged her. Phoenix rolled her eyes but hugged her back.

"Yeah whatever. Any idea on my punishment?"

"No, your ma hasn't called my ma yet, but maybe I'll know by tonight." Peyton shrugged and Phoenix sighed.

"If you do, call me, okay?"

"Deal," nodded Peyton as the pair bumped fists before she flew out the window. A power inherited from her father.

Phoenix watched Peyton go with a small twinge of sadness. She got along with Peyton so much better than anyone else in her family and she always hated it when she had to be away from her.

--

"Phoenix, come down here please!"

That was her father, finally home from a "business meeting" in Ireland and in no mood to be particularly forgiving. More often than not Wyatt Hamilton did nothing to encourage or discourage his daughter's behavior, but her latest stint in jail had shortened his temper.

"What's up?" Phoenix asked as she came downstairs and both her parents were waiting for her in the dining room, sitting on the same side of the table, their hands entwined. Phoenix opted to stay standing on the other side of the room.

"Sit down," her dad offered.

She didn't move.

"Phoenix we need to talk to you," her mother started, but stopped when she saw Phoenix's face.

"What is this, an intervention?" the teenager asked, a bit bored with the situation.

"Phoenix, we can't keep fixing everything for you, you need to understand that your decisions have consequences, and that's why we had to resort to this," her father told her, sounding almost upset and Phoenix got a large knot in the pit of her stomach.

"What?"

"You have to make a choice, Phoenix, it's jail, or one last chance at probation."

"What's the catch?" she asked, knowing that "probation" was a word that her father had chosen to make the second choice sound a little better than the first.

"Sky High. It's a high school in Maxville."

"That's a school for supers, not for delinquents," Phoenix replied, unsure of exactly what was happening to her.

"We know, but the judge on your case is a friend of your Cousin Courtney, and she convinced him to give you that as a second option. If you graduate then you can come back here and you'll be on a six-month probation period. After that, if you make any more mistakes like the last few you've made, then you will go to jail and we won't be able to help you."

"You really think that you can save me, don't you?" Phoenix asked, disbelief in her voice.

"Phoenix, you're our daughter, and we love you, don't ever forget that," her mother spoke and it was like a knife in Phoenix's gut.

"I know all that. Am I really getting a choice in this?"

"No."

"Great, another high school."

--


	2. The Other Side of the World

--

--

Layla Williams had exciting news. Well, she thought it was exciting, but she doubted that anyone else would except for maybe Will, but he was her boyfriend--he had to think that.

"What's with the smile, Hippie?" Warren Peace asked as his redheaded friend sat across from him at the lunch table. Normally Layla was a cheery person, but she was outdoing herself with the smile on her face.

"My mom is a part of this sort of exchange program, we take in troubled kids and help them out, and we're getting our first two students at the end of the week," she smiled.

Warren quirked an eyebrow at her. She was excited about sharing her house with delinquents?

"Why is that exciting?" Magenta spoke up as she took a seat next to Warren. Having heard the whole conversation her train of thought was cruising right next to Warren's.

"Because, we get to help somebody! Maybe even change her life." Layla smiled and Warren felt the corners of his lips turn upwards. Layla always found the best in the worst.

"Whoa, whose life?" questioned Zach as he sat down next to Magenta.

"My mom said her name was Phoenix. Phoenix Hamilton, she and her cousin Peyton are coming all the way from San Francisco, California," Layla explained.

"So what did they do?" Warren asked, finding himself slightly intrigued at the situation. Normally he didn't speak unless directly spoken to.

"My mom wouldn't go into very many details, but I know Phoenix did a couple of stints in jail. Mostly Peyton's coming to keep an eye on her."

It was Magenta's turn to quirk an eyebrow.

"She's a felon?"

"Yeah," the hippie shrugged, unfazed by the information.

"What's Will think about it?" the purple girl continued and Layla blushed just a bit.

"He doesn't like it, he says that now he's going to have to fly by my window at night to make sure that she doesn't kill me in my sleep, but it isn't that big of a deal." She waved the potentially dangerous situation off with an uninvested hand. "Besides, my mom did say that none of her crimes were violent ones."

Warren smirked as Will arrived and he and Layla started arguing the point, again. He was glad that the two were going strong; even after dating for a year; they were still as affectionate as they had always been. After getting to know the hippie while making Will jealous he considered her his very first real friend and he was very protective of her, so the fact that Will was also made him feel a little better.

--

"I can't believe we have to go," whined Peyton, sitting on the edge of Phoenix's bed as Phoenix packed her suitcase to head off to Maxville.

"Peyton, it's only for a year, and besides, you volunteered." Phoenix attempted to soothe the brunette. Peyton glared at her.

"Don't be so optimistic, it isn't a good color on you. I didn't volunteer you know, my mom did it for me, and its not only a year, it's a whole_ frickin_ year!"

"C'mon Peyton, you'll find yourself a hot guy and do him for a good two weeks and by the time the two of you have had enough of the horizontal hula you'll find someone else and time will fly by."

"Really?" asked Peyton as Phoenix sat next to her.

"Yeah, really." Phoenix nodded and smiled in a morbid amusement, as Peyton seemed to feel better by essentially being called a whore.

"Think you'll find someone?" Peyton asked devilishly as Phoenix started tossing shoes into her bag.

"No, I don't date."

"C'mon, Sky High is bound to have some super hot supers. If you see someone, you absolutely have to tell me, I mean it, no keeping all the goods to yourself," Peyton pointed at her cousin, who attempted to look innocent, but she crumpled under the dark brown gaze of her friend.

"Fine, I promise that I will tell you about all the hot guys I see."

"Serious?"

"As a heart attack."

"Deal."

They locked pinkies and spun each other around, slapped a high five then bumped fists.

"Deal."

--

Phoenix sighed heavily as her caseworker drove her into Maxville. Olivia Mason was a severe-looking woman with grey hair and pale blue eyes, a sharp nose and chin, always angry, and Phoenix absolutely adored pushing her buttons. Of course, it would be much more fun if Peyton was in the car, but she couldn't get away until the next week, which meant that Phoenix was going to have to fend for herself when meeting all new people.

"Phoenix?"

The teenager sighed.

"Yes, Ms. Mason?" she asked.

"Can you drive?" she inquired and Phoenix thought it an odd question.

"Yes."

"Well then, where is your license?" she questioned and Phoenix smiled.

"Oh, you mean my pilot's license? That's back in San Francisco in the Cessna. Or perhaps you're referring to my license to kill. Revoked. Trouble at the Kazakhstan border. I could give you the details but then I'd have to kill you, which I can't do because my license to kill has been revoked," she deadpanned, attempting to entertain herself and was rewarded as Olivia's already too tight mouth tightened.

"Hilarious, where is your driver's license?"

Phoenix smiled.

"Oh, in my pocket, why didn't you just ask in the first place?" she reached into her front pocket and held up the laminated card. Olivia grabbed it, her eyes never leaving the road.

"You can't keep this, we can't have you driving around."

"What? None of my crimes are car related!" Phoenix thundered, irritation flaring fast.

"I know, but the judge doesn't want you to have a chance to do anything you'll regret, I have to take it."

And for half a second she looked almost human but it went away as fast as it came and Phoenix had to wonder if she had imagined it.

"Here we are, the Williams residence."

Phoenix looked out the window and was pleasantly surprised. The house was a plain white colonial with green shutters and there were very beautiful roses growing in the front yard. It was pleasant and Phoenix found herself feeling a little less worried about the family that lived inside.

"Now, I want you to behave, do you understand me?"

Phoenix sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll do my best."

"Good, c'mon, we'll go meet them." Phoenix and Olivia got out of the car and collected Phoenix's bags from the trunk before heading up the sidewalk to the green front door with a plain silver knocker. Olivia reached out and knocked twice, and the pair waited for the door to be answered. It was opened just a few moments later by a girl just a year younger than Phoenix herself, with pretty red hair tied in sweet pigtails and soft green eyes that smiled. She had a pretty smile and a pretty figure and there was a sense of calm about her. The roses just to the side from the front stoop perked up at her presence, which only Phoenix noticed.

"Hi," she greeted them, looking a little unsure about why the odd pair was standing on her porch.

"Uh, hi, I'm Phoenix and this is my caseworker Olivia Mason," the teenager on the stoop replied and Layla's eyes widened.

"Oh, hi, I'm Layla, its nice to meet you." She shook hands with the brunette and looked her up and down. She was a bit taller, with dark hair and pale green eyes. Her jaw was slightly square and her lips were full without looking fake. She had a slim, slightly muscular figure, dark jeans and boots, a deep purple long sleeved shirt with a necklace that was nothing more than a silver chain with a guitar pick attached. She was slightly intimidating and yet not scarily so, and very comfortable with herself: it was obvious with every move and every word.

"Please, come on in, I'll get my parents," Layla offered, even going so far as to take a bag and help Phoenix move her things inside the foyer, inviting Olivia in as well.

Phoenix stood in the warm entrance of the Williams home, the walls painted in a lovely shade of golden yellow. Layla came down the stairs with two people who could only be her parents. Her mother had the same red hair and her father had the same eyes, together making the perfect picture of a family, and Phoenix felt a little out of place.

"Hello Phoenix, I'm Sarah and this is my husband James," Mrs. Williams greeted the new teenager and Phoenix made sure to smile.

"Its nice to meet you Mrs. Williams. Mr. Williams." She nodded to each in turn and Mrs. Williams made a sour face.

"Please, you can call me Sarah."

Phoenix nodded.

"Sure."

"Wonderful, hello Ms. Mason," she greeted the caseworker who merely nodded without any form of emotion.

"Well, Layla why don't you take Phoenix up to her room while your father and I talk to Ms. Mason."

"Sure," nodded Layla, taking one of Phoenix's bags and starting up the stairs, indicating for the brunette to follow her. She did with the slightest bit of hesitation, and started to feel even more out of place as she saw all the happy photos on the wall.

"This is going to be your room, sorry that it's so boring." Layla opened the first door on the right, and Phoenix had to swallow a nasty comment at the sight. Cream carpeting with pale blue walls, a plain bed against the left side wall, a large window on the far wall with lace curtains, a desk to the left, and a dresser to the right.

"No, it'll be fine, I brought a few things to decorate, if that's okay," Phoenix replied, finding herself enjoying Layla's company despite herself.

"Sure," the redhead nodded, setting the bag she was carrying down just inside the door.

"Do you want me to help you unpack?" she questioned, and Phoenix was starting to wonder if she made Layla uncomfortable.

"You don't have to, but it would help," Phoenix admitted, digging into the nearest of three suitcases.

"Sure," Layla nodded, reaching down to the one by her feet and opening it. Phoenix found herself comfortable with the redhead.

"So this Sky High place, what's that like?" she questioned as she started to fill the drawers with her clothes.

"It amazing, you'll love it," Layla gushed.

"Oh I'm sure," was the sarcastic reply. Layla just continued to smile, hanging out with Magenta and Warren for a year had made her almost immune to sarcasm.

"I love it, it's a wonderful school, and I have really great friends and a fantastic boyfriend, so it's good for me," she shrugged as she started to help Phoenix fill the drawers.

"What's your boyfriend's name?" Phoenix questioned, hoping that Layla wasn't one of those gushing, counting the seconds they've been together, kind of girlfriends, but at the mention of her boyfriend her infectious smile grew, and Phoenix had the sinking feeling that her hopes were misplaced.

"His name is Will. We've known each other since the first grade, and we were best friends up until last year."

"So what changed?" Phoenix asked, finding Layla Williams to be very close to her cousin Peyton and liking the similarities.

"I told him how I felt. Well, actually my friend Warren finally told him. You see Will was with this girl last year, Gwen, who turned out to be a supervillain, but that's irrelevant, cause Will asked her to Homecoming before he knew, and I had a crush on Will, but I couldn't tell him that since he was with Gwen. So I told him I was going with Warren, whom he didn't like at the time, but now they're great friends. Anyway, I told him that so he'd get jealous, and I guess that Warren told him when Will decided that he wasn't going to Homecoming, and then after we defeated Gwen and her cronies, and saved the school, he kissed me, and we've been together ever since." The story came out in three well-placed breaths and it made Phoenix's head spin.

"Whoa."

"Yeah, I know, long story," Layla nodded, hanging up some of Phoenix's nicer clothes.

"No, just very fast," the brunette replied as she closed the last drawer and started to help hang things.

"So what is your power, anyway?"

Phoenix sent her a strange look but Layla merely shrugged.

"My mom wasn't too forthcoming with details."

"Uh, well, I have two actually," Phoenix divulged and Layla's countenance brightened.

"Really? I heard that's really rare."

"You don't know anyone with two powers?" questioned Phoenix, finding it hard to believe that in a school as large as Sky High there wasn't one student with dual powers.

"Oh I do, actually Will has two powers, but it's just so rare that I thought he'd be the only one I'd ever know."

"Well, add me to your sideshow freak list," Phoenix smiled and Layla looked a little worried.

"I didn't mean to call you a freak," she tried to recover and Phoenix merely smiled larger.

"It's okay, I'm just teasing. I can levitate and I have a slight telekinesis. It isn't overly developed so I can't really do much more than move small objects like pencils or paper. Although I have gotten into shouting matches with my mom when whole furniture sets have gone flying around the room."

Layla stared at her for a moment or two and then smiled.

"So you can fly and move things?"

"Not fly. Levitate. Peyton can fly, but not me," Phoenix explained further, and Layla nodded.

"I have control over plants."

"I saw the effect you had on the roses, it's impressive."

"Thank you."

The two teenagers continued to put Phoenix's room together, even going so far as to hang up all her posters and put up some of her more favorite knick-knacks on the shelves and desk. Only two pictures had been brought and they were both placed on the desk. The first was of her and Peyton, the pair of them with their arms around one another and both smiling at the camera, the ocean behind them. The second depicted two teenage boys, both with their arms around Phoenix, all of them smiling.

"Who're they?" questioned Layla as she bent in front of the picture to get a better look.

"Oh, the one on the left is Micah, he's my neighbor, the other is my friend Henry," Phoenix pointed to each in turn as she named them.

"Is one of them your boyfriend?" Layla questioned and Phoenix laughed.

"No, they're just friends, trust me. Henry and Micah are…well…Henry is Micah's boyfriend, I introduced them."

"Oh," Layla blushed and Phoenix laughed again.

"So I think I'm missing something important for them to be interested in me."

Layla blushed deeper but was saved answering when her mother called the pair of them downstairs. Phoenix attempted to stifle her laughter as she followed the younger redhead down the stairs and into the living room, where Layla's parents and Ms. Mason were still conversing.

"Phoenix, you are to behave yourself," Ms. Mason warned. The sentence seemed innocent enough but the implication behind it was jail. Both Phoenix and Olivia Mason knew that, but neither stated it.

"Don't worry about it, I'll stay straight…ish," she shrugged and Ms. Mason shook her head.

"Not straight-ish. Straight."

Phoenix sighed and nodded.

"Straight. Got it."

Ms. Mason shook hands with each of the Williams before sweeping out the door in all her terrifyingly elderly glory. Phoenix was happy to see her go.

"Well, would you girls like dinner?" questioned Mrs. Williams as she surveyed the two teenagers. Layla smiled and nodded while Phoenix merely shrugged, she wasn't sure of how to react to a mother that didn't look at her with contempt and exasperation.

"Okay, how about you get settled in, and dinner should be ready in about an hour."

Layla smiled again at her mother before taking Phoenix's hand and dragging her up the stairs.

They were in the same country, the same side of it actually, but Phoenix couldn't help but think that it was the other side of the world.

--


	3. City of the Damned

--

--

Phoenix was headed off to another high school. Somewhere that she did not want to be. She had had enough trouble at her last one, having finally gotten expelled for setting the school gym on fire, but in her defense, she didn't realize that the bleachers were so damn flammable and if she had, she would have never set her cigarette down on them. However, as it was, she hadn't known and had gotten expelled.

"You nervous?" Layla's always too damn cheery voice, especially for seven in the morning, was already grating on Phoenix's fried nerves, but she attempted to be civil.

"Not really." It was a complete lie and she knew it. She was terrified that this school wasn't going to work out, that she was going to be shipped back to her family and then put in jail permanently.

"Oh." She sounded almost disappointed, as if she had expected an all out meltdown.

"School systems and I don't really get along."

"Why not?" the question was innocent enough and Phoenix sighed before answering.

"I always seem to set stuff on fire."

Silence.

"That's okay, Warren does too."

"Oh?"

"He's a pyrokinetic. He sets things on fire all the time."

Phoenix smiled down at her newest friend and found herself thankful that they got along as well as they did. Layla returned the grin as the bus arrived at their stop.

"Usually Will flies me to school, but I figured you wouldn't want to be on the bus all alone on your first day," Layla shrugged as the folding doors opened and she stepped onto the bus.

Phoenix remained rooted to the spot for a moment, absorbing what her new friend had just told her. The only person in the entire world that had ever done anything to make her more comfortable had been Peyton, and they were family, had known one another all their lives. Layla had only met her last night and was already treating her better than her own family. She wasn't used to it. She liked it. Then she smiled and followed her new friend on board.

She sat next to the redhead, and they were silent for most of the ride until the bus started towards the unfinished bridge.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that the school is in the sky?" questioned Layla innocently as Phoenix looked at her in slight alarm.

"What?" she managed to get out before the bus dropped over the side and her stomach inconveniently set up camp in her throat.

"Yeah, that's why Will flies me." Layla smiled over at the brunette who had yet to utter a single syllable since they had entered the air but was only rewarded with a glare.

"Don't worry, at least you didn't scream," she teased as they got off the bus together. Phoenix just continued to glare at the back of Layla's head, wishing that she was a pyrokinetic and could set a certain Mother Nature's braid aflame.

"So where exactly am I going?" questioned Phoenix as she and Layla entered the halls of Sky High.

"To the gym for Power Placement."

"Power Placement?" She had never heard of such a thing.

"Yeah, so they know whether or not to put you in the Hero classes or the Sidekick classes."

"Sounds fascist," was the reply and Layla giggled.

"Oh it is, but you have to enter Power Placement, it's a rule."

"Well that sucks."

"You didn't have Power Placement at your old school?" asked Layla as she stopped at her locker.

"No, I went to a civilian school."

The redhead paused in her movements.

"Really?"

Phoenix felt her stomach tighten, worry seeping through her mind that Layla was one of those bigots that looked down on people without powers. It hurt her heart to think that the sweet redhead before her would think like that.

"Yeah." The answer was hesitant.

"So you've never had a chance to develop your powers?"

"I do sometimes at home, and when I'm running from the cops, levitation comes in quite handy when you have to leap over fences."

Layla smiled.

"You're gonna need a lot of practice to be able to catch up in just a year. Do you know anything about the hero world?"

"Sure," Phoenix shrugged, "both my parents have powers, and I hear stories from my cousins all the time."

"No, I mean like famous supers and not just Superman or Spiderman."

"Not really."

Layla sighed.

"That's okay, you're just gonna have to study really hard."

Phoenix nodded. She knew that she wasn't stupid; she could get the grades if she really wanted to.

"So what exactly is Power Placement?"

"Well…"

--

If she had known that Power Placement was going to be as unfair and judgmental as it was, she wouldn't have taken part in it, but Layla had only told her some small details. Like she'd have to show her powers to a teacher. That was it. She didn't say that she'd have to do it in front of the entire incoming freshman class and be judged before them like some insane Salem Witch Trial. It wasn't that she was ashamed of her powers, or didn't think that they were good enough, she just didn't think that standing on a platform in front of a sea of kids almost four years younger than herself being judged by the man she had dubbed Gym-Teacher-Man in her head; was really the proper way to judge on whether or not she was good enough to be considered a hero. High School was hypercritical enough without dividing the kids into two separate groups on their first day.

"I am Coach Boomer, otherwise known as Sonic BOOM!" Gym-Teacher-Man was standing on the platform, a clipboard in his hand, and was currently showing off his power. The inane ability to blast people's eardrums. Phoenix was not impressed.

"One at a time you will come up here and demonstrate your power for me and I will decide whether you're a hero or a sidekick. And yes, you will do this in front of the entire class."

He was attempting to look intimidating and Phoenix had to admit that if he wasn't wearing knee-high socks and shorts he might have pulled it off. But he only seemed to manage looking like a butch Richard Simmons.

"You." He pointed into the sea of freshman; and Phoenix, and his finger landed on a girl that couldn't have been an inch over five feet. Her blonde hair was chopped in a bob, the ends dyed black, her eyes a deep green. She was tiny, but didn't look intimidated at all. She stepped up onto the platform next to Coach Boomer and waited for further instruction.

"Go ahead, show me your power." Coach Boomer encouraged and she sighed before nodding and holding her hands out. Nothing happened for a moment or two until Phoenix got the strange sense of sleepiness and she couldn't quite remember where she was or why she was there.

The girl pulled her hands back.

Coach Boomer seemed to snap out of the same trance everyone else had been in and looked over at the girl appreciatively.

"Confusion waves, impressive. Hero."

The next victim was a boy that towered over Phoenix's own 5' 7" frame and he seemed much less calm than the tiny girl before him. He stood up on the platform and Coach Boomer waited impatiently for his show of power.

"Well?" he questioned harshly and the boy shook his shaggy hair out of his eyes before powering up. Well, it was more like powering down. He shrank. And shrank, and shrank, and shrank until he wasn't much bigger than a mouse. Boomer bent down to look at him.

"You shrink?"

"Yes," was the miniscule reply.

"You can't grow bigger?"

"No."

"Sidekick."

Several more kids went up and they seemed split down the middle between heroes and sidekicks.

"You." Coach Boomer finally pointed at her and she headed up to the platform, bored with the fascist situation that surrounded her.

"What's your name?" he inquired, noticing that she was much older than the surrounding freshman.

"Phoenix Hamilton," she told him and he looked thoughtful for a moment.

"You Wyatt's daughter?" he asked and she nodded.

"Unfortunately yeah."

"Specter's kid, this should be interesting."

Phoenix rolled her eyes. She was nothing like her father, powers or otherwise. While her father, Specter could become invisible and had the ability to freeze time with a flick of the wrists her own powers were nothing alike in magnitude.

"What can you do?" he questioned, and she sighed.

"I can levitate."

He didn't seem impressed but gestured for her to demonstrate and she did. She lifted off the ground a few feet before touching back down.

"That's it?" he asked her, having obviously expected more.

"No."

"Well then, show me the rest." There was a smile on his face as though he thought she had been teasing him with her levitation.

She closed her eyes and concentrated the best that she could. She imagined her mother yelling at her, her perfect sister getting praised for nothing at all, her entire family looking at her with the contempt that they felt whenever she rebelled and then felt the familiar pressure behind her eyes. She opened them quickly and gestured to Coach Boomer's clipboard. It came flying out of his hand and into her own, his hat following. She looked up at the baseball cap that had landed on her own dark hair in surprise; she had only been concentrating on the clipboard. She didn't know if that meant that her powers were growing or if that meant that she had simply concentrated a little too hard.

"Telekinesis?"

"Yeah." She was getting tired of all the questions.

"You can only move a clipboard and a hat?" he questioned her again and she sighed, shrugging.

"Obviously."

He nodded, taking his hat and placing it back on his own head before snatching up his clipboard and making a mark almost reluctantly.

"Hamilton. Hero."

Phoenix stood in shock before the entire freshman class. She would have bet money that she was going to be in sidekick classes. Never in a million years had she ever thought that she was going to be a Hero. Then the truth hit her like a ton of bricks. Her father. Boomer had placed her in Hero classes to please her father; in fact, she wouldn't have been surprised if her father had placed a call to the school to guarantee it.

She stepped down from the stage as Boomer gave her her class schedule. She looked down at the piece of paper and sighed. Her first class was Hero Terminology with Mrs. Turner. She headed out of the gym, black messenger bag and class schedule in her hands. She hated the school already.

She knocked on Mrs. Turner's door and the teacher greeted her with a soft smile.

"Well hello, you must be Miss Hamilton. Please, come in."

Phoenix stepped through the door as Mrs. Turner returned to her desk and surveyed the classroom.

"There is a free seat in the back for you; and welcome to Sky High."

She seemed nice enough, but Phoenix decided to reserve her judgment. Teachers only showed their true colors when, and only when, you were in trouble or failing.

"Thank you." But that didn't mean she couldn't at least try to be on her good side for now. She knew better than to intentionally piss off a teacher before she saw who they really were.

She headed to the back of the classroom and could feel the entire class of Heroes staring at her but she ignored it. She was used to being stared at. She sat in her seat and turned her head to watch the teacher, ignoring the few students, most of them male, that were still staring at her as though she were a monkey in the zoo.

"What?" she snapped at the nearest one when his staring became too much and he instantly turned his head to the front of the classroom, the rest of them following suit.

Gym teachers that enjoyed humiliation too much for it to be legal, students that stared for no reason at all, and a father that still had influence enough to get her in a certain class with something as simple as a phone call.

She supposed that's what she got in a city of the damned.


	4. Sense of a Spark

--

--

Layla met her in the hallway to take her to the cafeteria but Phoenix was in a foul mood.

"How did Power Placement go?" the redhead questioned, but she sounded hesitant once she caught the look on her new friend's face.

"I'm in Hero classes."

"You don't seem too excited," was the reply as the pair entered the lunch line and started to fill their trays.

"The first question out of Boomer's mouth was, 'Are you Wyatt's daughter?' I could have screamed."

Layla nodded wisely, knowing that Phoenix had problems with her family, especially her parents.

"So you hate being associated with him?"

Phoenix shrugged as she picked up bottled water.

"His image is exactly the opposite of who he is. I don't like being associated with the fake persona and I don't like getting special treatment just because he's saved the world a few times. It isn't right. I mean, so what if he's powerful, you know? Why should that ever have any effect on the way people treat me, or the classes that I'm put in?"

"You think he got you in Hero class?" asked Layla as they sat at her normal table, so far being the only two there.

"I wouldn't put it past him--I mean, how would it look if Specter's daughter was dubbed a Sidekick?" Phoenix remarked with contempt, angry at the entire situation.

"I didn't know your dad was Specter." Layla sounded almost in awe, but at the glare she received from the brunette she instantly changed her expression to a frown, which made Phoenix laugh.

A boy Layla's age with messy brown hair appeared on the other side of the table, a sweet but wary smile on his face as he sat down.

"Hey Will!" Layla greeted him cheerily as Phoenix looked him up and down unsure exactly what it was that Layla saw in him.

"Hey Layla," he greeted in reply, casting a questioning glance at the brunette across from him before swooping down and giving his girlfriend a sweet kiss.

"Oh, Will, this is Phoenix, Phoenix this is my boyfriend Will."

Phoenix smiled as Layla introduced them and gave a tiny wave.

"So you're the boyfriend that I've been hearing about nonstop since I got here. Your girlfriend gushes, Will, I hope you have a long term plan to take care of it."

Will smiled.

"I tried so hard to fix her, but she is broken beyond repair. That's okay, though; I love her this way."

The pair exchanged sickly sappy smiles and Phoenix faked a gagging fit. Layla sent her a mock dirty look and gave a slight shove to her arm.

"Oh, don't be like that," she admonished and Phoenix laughed.

"No, you guys are cute." She shook her head as she dug into her salad.

"Oh, here comes the rest of the gang." Layla sounded a little too excited to be introducing Phoenix, but the brunette let it go, chalking it up to Layla's very sixties personality.

"Okay, Phoenix, this is Magenta, Zach, Ethan and Warren. Guys this is Phoenix."

Phoenix nodded to each in turn, a petite punk girl with, appropriately enough, purple hair, a very tall, almost albino looking boy with shockingly pale silvery hair, a shorter African-American boy in orange and just behind them a boy Phoenix's age with dark hair that hung in his face, one visible streak of red shining through it, soft brown eyes and olive skin. Phoenix felt her stomach do the smallest of turns. He was cute.

"Hi," she managed as they all sat in what seemed their predestined places. Zach and Ethan went next to Will as Magenta sat on the other side of Layla and Warren set his things down next to Phoenix.

Phoenix's eyes followed Warren as he sat down and she was trying her best to will them to look somewhere else, anywhere else, but they wouldn't until Will asked her a question.

"How do you like Sky High, Phoenix?"

She jarred out of her staring contest with the side of Warren's ribcage and focused her attention on the boy in red, white, and blue.

"Um, actually, I think it seems sort of fascist."

She could feel Warren's gaze on her now.

"Fascist?" he asked her, and she was startled by the depth of his voice. She turned to look at him and could swear that she felt the sense of a spark as their eyes locked.

"Yeah, I mean Power Placement is completely ridiculous. Dividing kids like that? Personally I'm not really into labels and giving kids, especially high school kids, a real reason to discriminate seems like a gross misjudgment of power."

"You're a sidekick aren't you?" His voice was teasing and yet she found herself offended.

"No actually, I was placed on the Hero track, but it shouldn't matter. We all have powers, we're all here to learn the same things, so what does it matter if Layla's power over plants totally dwarfs my levitation in aesthetic pleasure? Does it make her a better person or more important than me? No, it doesn't. High school is tough enough without giving kids labels on their first day."

Warren looked surprised, clearly not expecting her to be so passionate about the subject.

"So fascist is the first thing that comes to mind, sounds like a regular high school to me." His voice still held the teasing element to it and Phoenix finally joined in on the joke.

"Apparently you know the inner workings of this place far better than I. Very well, I concede to your point of view for now."

He sent her a strange look before the corners of his lips twitched up in a smile. She flashed him a grin before turning back to her salad, having effectively stunned the rest of the table into silence.

"I think that's the most I've heard Warren talk at this table in three years." Zach remarked off-handedly and the table lurched as Layla sent a well aimed kick his way.

"So what are your powers Phoenix, is it just the levitation?" Magenta changed the subject.

"Uh no, actually I have telekinesis but it isn't very developed. I mean it takes a lot of concentration just to move a pencil or a sheet of paper."

"So you can only move small things?" Ethan asked, slightly intrigued and Phoenix shrugged.

"Well, whenever my mother and I fight, if I get angry enough then sometimes whole sets of furniture will go flying around the room. I guess it just depends on my mood."

"So your powers are based on internal levels?"

"What d'you mean?" she asked in turn to Layla's question.

"Well, your telekinesis relies on you being angry, so maybe that's the trigger. I mean we all have triggers to our powers."

"What are all of your powers?" Phoenix asked the table at large and they each went around explaining their powers. Zach attempted to demonstrate, and though Phoenix didn't see a glow, she lied along with the rest of the table and said that she could. Warren didn't speak up until Phoenix looked over at him.

"What, you don't want to share?" she asked him even though she already knew what his power was. He turned his head lightly to look at her, his dark eyes tearing away from his book.

"Share what?" he questioned, clearly having heard nothing of the previous conversation.

"Your power."

"I'm a fire-starter."

"Really? Does it hurt?" she asked and he looked taken-aback.

"What d'you mean?"

"When you power up, does it hurt?" she repeated, and he blinked at her for a moment.

"No, my body was built to hold the heat."

She nodded and raised a hand hesitantly.

"Can I feel?"

He looked from her open palm to his bare forearm before shrugging, finding himself curious about this newest addition to their little group.

Her hand landed gently on his forearm and the same sense of a spark was felt for a second time where their skin connected.

"You're warm." She sounded almost surprised and his mouth quirked towards a smile again.

"Yeah, I have a temperature of 104 degrees at all times."

"What happens when you're sick?"

He blinked at her again as she removed her hand.

"What?"

"When you're sick, do you get even worse of a fever or does it go down?"

He blinked at her for the third time, unsure of why she would ever think of such a question.

"It goes down."

She nodded wisely as though she knew the feeling well.

"Interesting."

"I'm sorry, are you writing a paper on pyrokinetics or something?"

She shook her head in the negative.

"Then why all the questions?"

She shrugged.

"Just curious."

He gave her a small smile before getting up from the table and heading towards the exit, book in hand.

"That is the longest that he has ever sat here." Layla stated in awe and Phoenix looked at her curiously.

"Why?"

"I dunno, he always leaves to go outside and smoke, read his book in the quiet. He seemed interested in what you had to say, though."

Phoenix shrugged.

"I have that effect on some people."

Layla giggled.

"I'll just bet you do. What's your next class?"

"Uh," Phoenix glanced down at her schedule, "I have Mad Science with Mr. Medulla."

"Eww."

Everyone at the table winced and Phoenix looked around in concern.

"What?"

"Mr. Medulla loves picking on new students," Will told her as though it was a confidential secret.

"Yeah, he'll ask you all sorts of hard questions and not wait for an answer before grading you on your response." Zach nodded.

"I've never had a Mad Science class before, exactly what kinds of questions is he going to be asking?"

The group tried their best to inform their newest member as best they could before the bell rang, but they only had five minutes and as Phoenix walked to Mad Science all alone she was feeling less and less confident that she was going to be able to handle a Hero school.

She entered her newest classroom and took a deep breath as a man with the largest head she had ever seen came over to her.

"Hello, you must be Miss Hamilton," he greeted her and she nodded, assuming that he was Mr. Medulla.

"Yes sir," she replied with the smallest of smiles and he gave her a polite grin in response.

"Let's hope that you have the same Mad Science prowess that your mother did when she was a student here," he told her and she felt her stomach drop down into her toes, trying to escape through her shoes.

"Let's hope."

He pointed to her seat and she hesitantly sat down, feeling a slight bit of panic rise in her throat. She didn't know anything about Mad Science and he already expected her to be as good as her mother. She was in some major trouble.

More students started to file into the classroom and Phoenix was a little startled to see Warren was one of them. He had a passive look on his face until he saw her sitting towards the back and then one eyebrow arched delicately as he took the seat next to her.

"You're my new partner?"

She shrugged and looked around.

"Well it ain't Santa Clause, sorry to disappoint."

He gave her a questioning glance but didn't reply as Medulla started class.

Class was almost halfway over and somehow Phoenix had managed to get through that entire time without having to answer a single question, she only had to write down a few notes as Medulla lectured on freeze rays.

"Miss Hamilton."

The sound of her name was enough to startle her and she jumped slightly, her arm bumping Warren's.

"Yes sir?" she asked timidly in return, hating the fact that she wasn't confident in the classroom like she always had been.

"Can you tell me the difference between building a heat ray and the freeze ray that we are learning about right now?"

He clearly thought it a hard question and out of the corner of her eye Phoenix saw Warren shift his notebook just a little to the left and towards her, the pyrokinetic's slightly messy handwriting clouding the page. She risked a glance down before answering the question with the words from the page.

"Um, when building a freeze ray like the one in the notes you need a flux capacitor that will spin to the left making the chemicals inside freeze instead of heating up. And when building a heat ray, you need a flux capacitor that spins to the right to heat the chemicals, and you need a more flame resistant metal and…" she froze, unable to read the last part of Warren's handwriting. "…and you need to make sure that…um…you need a valve that won't kick back on you so that the flame never gets too close to you and can reach the intended target?"

Medulla stared at her for a moment or two, stunned, and Phoenix wasn't sure if that meant that she had answered well or completely terribly.

"Correct, but there was some hesitation, B." He graded her answer.

Phoenix let out the breath she hadn't even realized that she was holding, happy with her "B" and Medulla returned to teaching the class, pausing here and there to question other students.

Class ended fifteen minutes later and Phoenix had to jog to reach Warren in the hallway.

"Hey!" she called out to him and he turned to look at her.

"What?" he questioned in a bored tone.

"Listen, thanks for the help back there." She smiled at him but he shrugged and gave her a disbelieving look.

"What help?"

She paused, stunned for a moment.

"What d'you mean what help? You totally gave me that answer."

"Didn't do anything of the sort," he told her and she shook her head.

"Yes you did."

"No, I didn't," he leaned in a little closer to her and she noticed that he smelled like smoke, leather, and some sort of plant that she just couldn't name, "Medulla is too tough on new students. There was no way that you would have known that on your own, but if someone finds out I helped you and it got back to Medulla there goes my grade."

She nodded as he straightened back up and she finally put a name on the plant. Roses.

"Besides, I do have a reputation to uphold here."

He straightened his backpack on his shoulder and stalked away from her. She smiled gently to herself as Layla caught up to her and grabbed her elbow, linking their arms, already chattering away about her own classes.


	5. Another Place to Fall

--

--

Phoenix sat in her new room, at her desk, staring down at the sheet of paper before her as though it had done her a grievous wrong. Medulla had been the only teacher to give homework, and she had yet to understand any of it. Mad Science was obviously not her subject, which meant that she didn't take after her mother, and she wasn't sure whether or not to be excited about that fact. On the one hand, she wasn't like her mother, which was a good thing, but on the other hand, she wasn't any good at Mad Science, which was a bad thing.

"I despise academics," she groaned as her head hit the desk, "Ow."

She sighed and put down her pencil, completely giving up on trying to label the diagram before her. She didn't understand it, and she was never going to.

"Hey Phoenix." Layla appeared in her doorway, a small smile on her face as she viewed her friend. Phoenix turned her head to look at the hippie and blew her hair out of her face impatiently.

"What's up, Layla?"

"You hungry?"

Phoenix looked at her for a moment, completely unsure of what that had to do with anything but then shrugged and nodded.

"Yeah, I could go for something."

"Cool, my mom doesn't feel like cooking tonight, so you wanna go to the Paper Lantern with me?"

"What's the Paper Lantern?" asked Phoenix as she picked her head up and started to put away her homework.

"It's this really great Chinese place…and you didn't finish your homework?" She sounded incredulous as she changed subjects and Phoenix blinked for a moment or two before answering.

"Okay, that was random, but no I didn't."

"Why not?"

"I don't understand it," Phoenix whispered in reply, all of a sudden feeling self-conscious.

"You didn't what?" asked Layla, not hearing her and Phoenix groaned, feeling her annoyance levels skyrocket.

"I don't understand it."

"Oh," Layla nodded in understanding. "That's okay, bring it with you, I'll try and help."

Phoenix smiled gratefully, still a little shocked that Layla had accepted her so quickly and without question.

"Sure, thanks."

Layla nodded and waited patiently for Phoenix to put her Converse sneakers back on and shrug into her black suede jacket.

"Don't forget the homework," she reminded the brunette and Phoenix nodded somewhat reluctantly.

"Yeah, yeah." Phoenix leaned towards her desk and picked up the thick red binder before leaving her room, right on Layla's heels as the pair of them headed off to the Paper Lantern.

--

They were seated and had ordered when Layla took hold of the red binder and started to look over it.

"Whoa, this is advanced stuff."

"Yeah, tell me about it, and you've had three years of Mad Science, this is my first."

"They didn't give you classes to catch you up?" asked Layla, curious as to why the school officials would want Phoenix to struggle so badly.

"Yeah, my guess would be that my dad called it in."

"Oh c'mon Phoenix, he doesn't control everything in your life," Layla chastised her, sounding incredulous that Wyatt Hamilton would purposefully try to make his daughter's life harder.

"Oh ye of little faith. My dad would do anything to make himself look good, and trust me, a daughter in remedial Hero classes is not a thing that makes him look better."

"I'm sure your dad isn't that bad," Layla countered, the binder lying forgotten.

"You've never met him. He's a deadbeat dad and a cheating husband, always has been."

Layla looked at Phoenix for a long moment, careful of her choice of words.

"That doesn't mean that he's doing all the things you say he's doing."

"Layla, your parents' marriage is one of love, my parents' marriage is one of convenience. My dad needed a superhero bride and my mom needed the money. Maybe they liked each other once, but not anymore. My dad cares only about making himself look better, and if something looks like its going to ruin his image, he buys it, destroys it, or simply sends it away."

Layla nodded, seeing the look on Phoenix's face that she really didn't want to talk about it anymore.

"Okay, so this diagram is a little advanced, but I know some of the parts."

Phoenix smiled, glad for a change of subject; between the two of them, and orders of Chinese food, they got the entire diagram filled out. They were feeling pretty good about themselves until Phoenix pulled out the worksheet that she was supposed to finish using the diagram.

"Uh oh." Layla sounded just as worried as Phoenix looked.

"See, it is impossible." Phoenix's head hit the table just as a new voice joined the conversation.

"Hey hippie." Warren appeared at their table, his apron on and his hair pulled back. Layla looked up at him in surprise and flashed him a smile.

"Hey Warren, I didn't know you were working tonight."

Warren shrugged as Phoenix eavesdropped on the conversation, not feeling up to picking up her head and actually contributing to it herself.

"I picked up Wei Wei's shift."

Layla nodded before giving Phoenix's arm a small poke.

"Phoenix, you okay?"

Phoenix groaned but picked up her head.

"I'm peachy frickin keen, really."

The sarcasm was not lost on any of them.

"What's up?" asked Warren as he caught sight of the worksheets.

"You mean besides my blood pressure?" Phoenix replied but Warren didn't answer, he just continued to look at her.

"They're worksheets from Medulla's class and with Layla's help I managed to get the first one done, but this second one neither one of us knows how to do."

Warren nodded wisely, looked around the practically empty restaurant for a moment before sitting down next to Phoenix and pulling the homework closer to him so he could look at it.

Phoenix watched him in surprise, finding herself getting caught in another staring match with his ribcage.

"Well, it's a freeze ray, just like today in class. Didn't you learn anything by copying my notes?" he questioned and as he looked down towards her, she jarred out of her reverie.

"Obviously not, cause if I had then I wouldn't need your help now would I?" she snapped at him somewhat viciously; but he ignored her and just started to teach her what she needed to know.

Ten minutes later and Phoenix still had no idea what she was supposed to be doing with the worksheet before her.

"Warren, I don't get any of this. I'm never going to get any of this." She was starting to get frustrated and defeated but Warren merely sighed, looking back at the worksheet as though it had all the answers.

"Hey, if I cry, will it freak you out?" Phoenix asked a moment later and Warren looked over at her, alarmed.

"Totally."

She nodded as though she understood.

"What if I whimper?"

"How about you suck it up?" Warren questioned.

She sighed and blew her hair out of her face.

"I'll try."

He nodded and pushed the worksheet towards her.

"What is this part of a freeze ray?" He pointed at the diagram and Phoenix sighed heavily.

"That's the chemical tank."

"Exactly, and what is it used for?"

"To hold chemicals." She was getting annoyed.

"Exactly, so if this question is asking you what would happen if your chemical tank was empty, then what would happen?"

"Then it wouldn't freeze."

"Exactly."

"But that isn't what the question is asking," she growled at him and he smirked.

"I know, it's asking you what the freeze ray would become if your chemical tank was empty."

"So just a ray?" she questioned and he smiled.

"Right."

She smiled back at him.

"You mean I actually got that one?"

"Yeah, you're just over thinking it."

Twenty minutes later and both worksheets were done.

"Thank you Warren."

Warren just shrugged and started to clear their table as the two girls put their jackets back on.

"Whatever."

--

Two days after the night at the Paper Lantern, Phoenix finally received her worksheets from Mr. Medulla. He waited until class was over to give her the papers and she wasn't sure if that meant she had done really well or really badly.

"Well done Miss Hamilton, you seem to have a knack for this." He handed her the papers with a smile on his face and as she looked down at the white sheets to see a large red "A" at the top of them. She let out a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding.

"Thank you, sir, but why wait until after class?" she questioned, and as soon as the words left her lips she regretted them.

"Miss Hamilton, you struggled the first day here and yet you've done the homework perfectly, I just wanted to know if you had any outside help."

Phoenix stood still for a moment, thinking it over. Warren had said that he didn't want Medulla to know he'd been helping her, and she wasn't about to rat out Layla so she put a fake smile on her face and shook her head.

"No, sir, I promise."

He nodded, accepting her answer, and sent her on her way.

She practically danced down the hallways until she saw Warren and Layla talking in the hallway. She ran over to them.

"I have hit a level of perfection rarely seen outside a Victoria's Secret catalog!" she jumped into their conversation and both teenagers before her started, having never seen her coming.

"God, you're like the pop-up book from hell!" Warren exclaimed and Phoenix let out a small giggle.

"That's irrelevant, cause I got an "A" on my homework." She smiled widely and Layla returned the gesture.

"That's great." She congratulated her friend and Warren shrugged, a tiny smile quirking at the corner of his lips.

"Not bad."

Phoenix sent him an incredulous look.

"'Not bad', are you kidding? It's awesome!"

He actually smiled this time, teeth and everything, and Phoenix had the same sense of a spark shoot through her limbs.

"Okay, awesome." He turned away from them and headed off to class. Layla smirked over at Phoenix and slung an arm over her shoulders.

"You got Warren to smile at you without any help."

"So?" Phoenix still didn't understand the big deal. Warren had always been perfectly polite to her, but the rest of the group seemed to find that strange.

"So, I am so glad you came here."

Phoenix smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I kinda am too."

--

The next night as Phoenix tried, in vain, to understand her newest assignment from Medulla, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" came Layla's voice from downstairs and Phoenix continued to struggle with the academics that she had been so certain she would nail.

"Phoenix!"

Phoenix looked over her shoulder at the door in question, but got up anyway and stuck her head out the door.

"What?" she called to Layla, not feeling exactly like walking all the way downstairs to find out what was happening. She didn't care who was at the door, Peyton wasn't scheduled to come for another two days and she knew that she couldn't be early.

"Someone's here to see you, I'll just send them up!" Layla called in return and Phoenix shrugged.

"Whatever!" she called back, heading over to her desk and the headache that awaited her. She sat down and pulled her binder close to her, but before she could even read the directions over again there was a knock at her door.

"Come in."

"Hey."

Phoenix turned in surprise to find Warren standing in her doorway, looking like he seriously wanted to run.

"Hey," she replied, sounding just as out of place as he looked.

"Uh, I'm here to help with your Mad Science homework."

She quirked an eyebrow.

"You are?"

He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous gesture.

"Why?" She knew that he didn't really want to talk about it, but she couldn't resist asking.

"Because, you're…you're my partner and how's it going to look in class if I'm doing all the work? Medulla will deduct my grade as well as yours, and I'm not letting that happen."

He sounded almost angry and so, remembering that he was a pyrokinetic and that he could very well set all of her things on fire, she left it alone.

"You wanna sit down?"

He didn't reply, but rather placed his books on the desk next to hers and grabbed the spare chair that she kept in the corner.

"Okay, do you have any of it done?" he asked, going straight into tutor mode and she sighed.

"No, I still don't understand any of this."

He smirked.

"That's okay, cause I do."

They spent the next half hour working on their homework until Layla came in and interrupted them.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" she asked, a knowing smile on her face and Phoenix looked up at her in surprise, having not heard her open the door, too distracted by what Warren was telling her.

"Not bad."

Layla nodded in response to Warren's answer and leaned against the doorframe.

"You getting your homework done?"

"Yes mother," Phoenix teased and Layla smiled before unhitching herself from the wooden frame and heading off to her own bedroom. Phoenix watched her go as Warren started to pack up his things.

"Thanks for helping me."

He shrugged as they walked down the stairs together.

"Not a problem, it was more for my benefit than yours."

She smiled and nodded as he stepped out onto the front porch.

"Of course."

He started to leave but paused and turned to look at her.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did."

He glared at her and she smiled, a small chuckle escaping.

"Just ask the question."

"Do you like Maxville?"

She thought it an odd question but answered anyway.

"I like Layla, and Sky High isn't so bad, but honestly?"

He nodded.

"I just feel like Maxville is another place to fall, except my parents don't have to watch this time."

He nodded again before turning and leaving. Phoenix stood in the doorway for a moment more before sighing and closing the front door, turning to face Layla's waiting questions as the redheaded hippie sat at the top of the stairs waiting for her.

--


	6. SoSo Suicide

"I don't want to talk about it, Layla." She blew off the redhead's question before she could even open her mouth.

"Why, what happened?" the Earth Mother questioned. Phoenix sighed as she headed up the stairs, her head filled with questions of her own and in no mood to answer anyone else's.

"I've never seen Warren do anything like that before, what do you two talk about?"

Phoenix tried to ignore Layla, but she was following her towards her room.

"Phoenix, you can't ignore me forever, you know."

'Can so."

"You cannot, I mean, we go to school together, we live together and I am very persistent, just ask Will."

Deciding to ignore the fact that being persistent to the point of annoyance should go against Layla's entire personality Phoenix answered the statement.

"Fine, I will tell you what goes on, but you will say nothing, you will do nothing, you will sit in the corner and offer no opinions and pull a full on Clarence Thomas."

Layla wrinkled her nose.

"Who's he?"

Phoenix rolled her eyes and avoided Layla's political ignorance.

"Never mind, just promise that you won't say anything, I don't really want to analyze any of this."

"Isn't talking about it, analyzing it?"

Phoenix smiled and glanced over her shoulder.

"Oh how easily we forget the no talking part."

Layla's mouth tightened and she rolled her eyes.

"Fine, I won't talk, but you should."

Phoenix nodded.

"Yeah, okay."

"Really?" Layla asked excitedly.

"No." Phoenix deadpanned in response before closing her bedroom door behind her.

Layla stamped her foot and the smallest scream escaped her throat.

"Phoenix, open the door!"

Phoenix didn't reply, she just flopped onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling, wishing that she hadn't made such a mess out of her life. She wished that her parents were different. She wished that there was someone out there that could understand why she rebelled so viciously against her family and could tell her that she wasn't crazy. That she wasn't being stupid. She just wanted someone to say that they were proud of her and that she was perfect just the way she was.

"Phoenix, please open the door!"

She sighed again and stood, staring at the closed door in front of her, unsure as to whether or not she should open it.

"Phoenix, come on."

She swung open the door and Layla stood in the hallway, looking defeated.

"I just want to know what's going on and if I can help."

Phoenix smiled and let the smallest of chuckles escape her throat.

"Come on in Layla."

Layla smiled and entered Phoenix's room, closing the door behind her.

"What happened?"

"Nothing, he's just…"

"Gorgeous?" Layla replied knowingly and Phoenix groaned, slamming her hands over her face.

"God, you're as bad as Peyton, no, that isn't it. He's just so…it's like he knows why I'm here, why I rebel so much."

Layla smiled and remained quiet.

"Layla, I don't…he's cute, yes, but that isn't why I'm confused. It's like he knows what's going on in my head but he's keeping it to himself. It's infuriating and new and scary and I really don't like it."

Layla continued to smile, again, saying nothing.

"Stop smirking at me!" Phoenix growled, tossing a pillow at the redhead on her floor. Layla giggled and dodged easily.

"Fine, I'll keep it to myself."

"You do that." Phoenix replied.

There was a comfortable silence between the new friends until Layla sighed and turned her head to look at the brunette on the bed.

"Hey Phoenix?"

"Yeah?"

"Is Peyton ever going to show up?"

Phoenix giggled and then took a deep breath.

"Yeah, she'll get here, its always Peyton's style to show up late."

Layla nodded.

"So she's like your cousin?"

"Yeah, but she's also the only person on the planet that knows me, and accepts me."

"So she's your Warren and Will."

Phoenix smiled.

"I guess so, are Warren and Will your Peyton?"

"I guess so."

The girls nodded, satisfied with the link in their lives, and unaware of how important the fusing of the two would become. For them, for their families and friends, and for the world.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phoenix rolled onto her side and sighed, her eyes cracking open slowly as she listened to her alarm sound off. The insistent beeping seemed lidded in a fog and she reached out to silence it, her fingers discovering something warm and suspiciously alive feeling. She gasped and rocketed back, effectively knocking her self off the other side of the bed and hip first onto the floor.

"Ow." She groaned, pushing herself up slowly and peering up over the bed, her eyes curious.

"Hey cuz, you can sleep through anything can't you?" A tall, leggy brunette grinned before turning her attention back to the alarm beneath her hand. Her dark chocolate eyes narrowed in annoyance and she started pushing buttons.

"How the hell do you shut this thing up?"

Phoenix groaned again, her muscles protesting to her movement as she stood up and reached across the bed to push the top middle button on the electronic. The beeping stopped immediately and her new visitor smiled.

"I met Layla, she seems nice."

Phoenix glared and yawned.

"Peyton, can't you ever just knock before you enter my room?" she questioned as she stepped past her cousin and into the hallway, headed towards the bathroom.

"I did knock, you could sleep through a nuclear blast."

Peyton attempted to follow her but the door to the bathroom slammed in her face. She took it all in stride, leaning against the nearest wall and continuing to talk.

"Henry and Micah miss you. The whole gang misses you."

Phoenix sighed as she leaned against the sink, tears swelling behind her eyes as she thought of her friends. She missed them too.

"So I told them that it would only be a year, and then we'd be back, of course Micah had to point out that we'd all be in college after the summer anyway so it didn't matter. You know the two of you are so alike it's a shame that he turned out gay. Oh! I got a tattoo with the money you managed to snag me from your latest stint, its soooooo cute, you'll love it, I promise. I…"

"Peyton!" the door opened and Phoenix appeared, her hair tied back tight and her face-soaking wet, "Don't you ever slow down? Or shut up for that matter?" She disappeared back behind the door.

Peyton sighed and leaned even heavier against the wall.

"Yeah, yeah, it isn't my fault you're _never_ happy."

There was a pause and Phoenix had the smallest glimmer of hope that maybe Peyton had actually stopped talking. She was drastically disappointed.

"You know, your mom misses you. She doesn't say anything, but I can tell. Your dad's bad news, Phoenix, but your mom's just a little…"

"Pathetic?" was the harsh response.

"Confused." She became silent then and Phoenix blasted the pressure of the water to mask the sob that had escaped her throat. She tried not to get her hopes up that her parents actually cared more about her than themselves, and was always caught off guard when her mother, even in the indirect way that Peyton had just mentioned, reached out to her.

Ten minutes later she appeared in the hallway again, her hair still tied back and her eyes suspiciously red and puffy. Peyton didn't mention it though, she knew that her cousin was much softer hearted than anyone gave her credit for and she also knew that her cousin didn't like it mentioned.

"I'm gonna go hang out with Layla some more, you better hurry, we have to catch the bus in an hour." Peyton headed down the stairs as Phoenix disappeared into her room.

It took her ten minutes to calm herself down, and several of her things had been shattered across the room. She knew that the people downstairs could hear her, and was grateful that they didn't come up to see what was wrong. She preferred to break down alone.

Another ten minutes and she was ready for school, her hair pulled into a high and tight ponytail, dark jeans and boots, a white button up oxford only halfway buttoned with a black tank underneath and her burnt orange trench coat. She came down the stairs, grabbing her backpack as she headed into the kitchen where she could hear Layla and Peyton chatting.

"Peyton, you better not be telling secrets, cause if you are I'm gonna tell all about the Oreo cookie incident."

Peyton spun to face her cousin, a wide-eyed look to her countenance.

"I would never tell secrets to Layla!" she sounded appropriately shocked.

"Sure you wouldn't, just like you'd never tell Henry or Micah anything either."

Peyton merely shrugged, seeming nonplussed.

"Yeah, well, they should work for the CIA, you've seen them."

Layla watched the playful banter with a smile, she knew that Phoenix wasn't as tough as she seemed.

"If you guys don't mind, I'm gonna go to school with Will."

Peyton spun back around, shock to her eyes, she had forgotten that Layla was even in the room.

"Who's Will?"

"My boyfriend."

Peyton grinned and glanced over her shoulder at Phoenix before looking back at Layla.

"He have any cute friends for someone we know?" she asked in a singsong voice.

Phoenix's eyes narrowed instantly.

"Actually…" started Layla, Phoenix didn't let her finish.

"I know who you're talking about, and no way am I going out with anyone so forget it!"

"But what about Warren, you two get along…"

"No, no, absolutely not." Phoenix giggled nervously, looking anywhere but at the two girls in front of her.

"Who's Warren?" asked Peyton, looking scandalized as she glanced at her cousin, "You never told me anything about Warren."

Phoenix sighed.

"Because there's nothing to tell, he's a friend, who sometimes helps me with my Mad Science homework, that's it."

"Mad Science, what's that?" Peyton questioned, having momentarily forgotten all about Warren.

"You'll find out soon enough, trust me."

--------------------------------------------------------------

Peyton hadn't stopped chatting about the fact that the school bus flew for the past ten minutes and just as Phoenix was about to blow her parole by committing murder, Warren appeared behind her.

"Did you understand last night's homework at all?" he questioned, not bothering to announce the fact that he was there. Phoenix and Peyton jumped together in unison. Phoenix spun around and glared at the pyro looming over her.

"You know, you could warn a person before you try to give them a heart attack." She crossed her arms over her chest and he ignored the tone.

"If I warned you then I wouldn't be able to give you a heart attack now would I?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, point taken. And no, I didn't understand it, I never understand it, why do you think that you were there to help me?"

"Because you like to torture me?" he questioned as he spun his lock combination.

Phoenix sighed heavily and leaned against the next locker.

"You came on your own, don't try to blame this on me."

He grinned at her but then sent a questioning look over at Peyton.

"What's that all about?" he asked before burying his head in his locker, looking for something.

Phoenix glanced over her shoulder to see Peyton standing in the same spot they had stopped in; her eyes wide open along with her mouth as she stared at Warren.

"That's Peyton, she usually isn't this quiet. I think it's you, and if that's true, I'm gonna keep you around forever."

Warren raised one eyebrow but didn't comment and instead closed his locker, shoving a book in his bag and stalked down the hallway.

Phoenix watched him go, unsure of what had happened but having a feeling it had to do with something she had just said. Peyton appeared beside her, her mouth still open.

"Peyton, don't do that."

She shut her mouth.

"That is quite possibly the hottest guy I have ever seen. Don't you love this place?" she ahead off to her class, forgetting that she had no idea where it was.

"Yeah, I love this place, my very own so-so suicide."


	7. Welcome to my Life

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Phoenix followed Peyton down the hall and directed her into the class where she belonged.

"So what do we have first?" Peyton questioned as she sat down next to her cousin.

"Well, it's Tuesday, so we have Computer Process class first."

"What does that have to do with superhero work?" Peyton questioned as the rest of the class filed in. An icy-looking blonde sat down across the aisle from the cousins and sent them a dirty look.

"I don't know for sure," Phoenix responded, glancing over at the blonde and giving her an affronted look. The blonde turned towards the front of the class, a fake smile plastered to her face as she waved a peppy looking brunette over to her.

"I mean," Peyton continued, completely oblivious to the exchange, "if I'm flying around fighting crime, then what could I possibly do with a computer?"

Phoenix shrugged.

"I have no clue."

"You're not very informed are you?" asked Peyton and Phoenix favored her with a glare that put ice-blonde's to shame.

"Says the girl who's already been to a hero school and didn't even have to go through Power Placement because she was already on the hero track."

It was Peyton's turn to shrug.

"Just because I've been to a Super's school doesn't mean that I've ever had a computer class or that I'm informed on how things work."

Phoenix rolled her eyes. Though, she should have expected that response, she was the one in the pair's relationship, who knew what was happening, who always had things under control, and while she could count on Peyton to have her back no matter what, she also knew that she couldn't count on Peyton to ever come up with the idea originally.

"Whoa."

Phoenix glanced up and did a small double take. The man that had just waltzed into class was extremely attractive. He was tall, with wavy blonde hair and _very_ blue eyes. He was older, about in his mid-twenties, and Phoenix's stomach did a small back flip.

"Okay guys, settle down please," he called out, his voice a smooth baritone, "My name is Mr. Hauser, and I am the new computer tech teacher."

Peyton leaned over to whisper to Phoenix.

"Okay, I officially love this school."

Phoenix giggled and rolled her eyes. Hot boys was all Peyton ever thought about.

"He's a teacher, Peyton!" she scolded.

"Who cares," was the sighed reply as Peyton set her chin on her hand and stared dreamily up at Mr. Hauser.

Phoenix sighed as well and attempted to pay attention to the class but found it kind of hard. She had to admit, Mr. Hauser was a fox, and he seemed like one of those cool young teachers that actually understood his students.

"Okay, well, I'm new to this place, so you'll have to forgive me. This class is all about learning to use technology to find and help defeat super villains. You all are the future of this country and so you have to take this responsibility very seriously. Become a part of the solution, not part of the problem, and I'm here to help you do that." He grinned and there was a small collective sigh from all the girls in the room.

"Okay, let's get started."

-----------

Forty-five minutes later and there was a large group of giggling girls exiting the computer lab, with Phoenix and Peyton on their heels.

"You have got to be kidding me, not a single person listened to a word he said."

Peyton rolled her eyes and wrapped her arm tight around her cousin's shoulders.

"Honey, you're the only who had the presence of mind to take notes, so I think that proves my theory."

Phoenix nodded but then stopped.

"Wait, what theory?"

Peyton shrugged and walked away.

"Peyton, what theory?" Phoenix demanded as she chased Peyton through the halls.

"Never mind Phoenix, it doesn't really matter," Peyton soothed. "Where to now?"

Phoenix sighed and ignored her cousin's "theory" for now.

"Uh, Mad Science."

Peyton nodded and shifted her backpack.

"Cool, sounds like fun."

"Yeah, it's a regular laugh riot," Phoenix retorted as the pair headed towards Medulla's class. They walked through the door and Phoenix made sure that Peyton had a seat before taking her own next to Warren, who was sitting there looking nonplussed as usual.

"What's your problem?" she questioned him, digging out her notebook and pencil. He looked over at her, his eyes glazed over just a bit.

"What?"

She gave him an odd look.

"I asked what was wrong."

"Nothing. Just had a long shift at the Paper Lantern last night."

Phoenix was confused.

"But you were helping me with my homework."

He nodded, yawning widely.

"Yeah, I had to go in to work after that."

"Oh."

He nodded, facing the front of the class as Medulla started to teach. Phoenix stared at him for another moment or two before starting her notes, wondering silently to herself why he would have to work so many shifts at a part time job, but knowing better than to actually ask him.

--------------------------------------

Peyton exited Mad Science, Phoenix on her heels and turned towards her cousin.

"Okay, that was not fun at all."

Phoenix grinned, attempting not to laugh at the exhausted look on Peyton's face.

"I would have warned you but you wouldn't have believed me."

"What now?"

"Well, we have Hero Terminology and then a study hall, then lunch."

"Any more classes with Warren?" Peyton teased, and Phoenix flushed just a bit looking around to make sure that the broody pyrokinetic wasn't nearby.

"Will you shut up?" she hissed and Peyton just grinned, linking her arm with her cousin's and heading down the hall.

"Come on, let's get to Hero Terminology."

-------------------------------------------------------

Two classes later and the pair walked into the cafeteria, Peyton chattering away about something that Phoenix was no longer listening to. She just led the brunette over to the regular table and they sat down together, Layla on the other side of Phoenix and Warren across from her, reading.

"Hey guys," she greeted as she took her seat, Peyton still chattering away.

"Hey Phoenix, Peyton," Layla greeted with a sweet smile. Warren didn't respond, he just kept reading as the rest of the group slowly filed in and sat down, getting introduced to Peyton along the way.

"So how'd you like your first day, Peyton?" Will questioned politely while the group of teenagers dug into their lunches, minus Warren, who just continued to read, ignoring the table as per usual.

"It was okay, my computer processing teacher is a babe."

"Peyton!" Phoenix admonished as Layla heaved an agreed sigh.

"He is good-looking isn't he?" she questioned dreamily, and Will shot her a look. She looked instantly sheepish.

"But he has nothing on you, sweetie." She kissed Will's cheek and he just rolled his eyes.

Phoenix shook her head and avoided the chattering of the table by watching the lunchroom. She had no interest in gorgeous teachers or anything else that Peyton might bring into conversation at the moment and was completely content to look around at her fellow students; until her brown eyes came across the same icy blonde from earlier, who was still gracing her with a dark glare.

"What in the world is that girl's problem?!" she demanded, her back still turned away from the table.

"What girl?" questioned Layla as she leaned over the table to get a better look.

"I don't know who she is, that blonde over there, she's been glaring daggers at me all fucking day."

Layla looked startled and Phoenix turned back to look at her.

"What?" she questioned, seeing the looks on the people she had started to consider friends as they glanced from the blonde to Phoenix then to Warren. Warren was just sitting at the table, his book forgotten, fists clenched and smoking. He got up from the table without a word, grabbing his stuff and stalking out of the cafeteria.

"Did I do something wrong?" Phoenix questioned, and Layla sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"No, it wasn't you, that girl is Sophie Freeze, she and Warren dated last year."

"Oh, what happened?"

"He won't talk about it, all we know is that they broke up and the next day she was walking around here, sticking her tongue down the throat of Eddie Kent, you know, Superman's kid?" Magenta broke in.

"Eww, what a slut," Peyton jumped in and Phoenix sighed, her chin in her hands as she stared at Warren's recently vacated spot.

"So I guess he still isn't over her?" she wondered, and Layla and Magenta exchanged looks.

"I think he's over her, just not the way she treated him, you know? She was really horrible to him, especially after they broke up," Layla replied sagely and Phoenix nodded, standing up.

"Where you going?" Peyton questioned.

"Just to talk to Warren for a minute, don't worry, I'll be back to get you to your next class," her cousin replied absent-mindedly and she walked out of the cafeteria.

"So what's the bet on when they'll get together?" Peyton questioned. Layla and Magenta laughed, leaning forward to conspire with Peyton as the boys looked on in confusion or (in Zach's case) complete ignorance.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phoenix exited Sky High's front double doors and looked around the quad for a moment before her eyes caught Warren's distinctive dark cloud persona off in a corner. She walked over to him and sat down next to him, silently. She looked over at him, but he just sat there, staring down at his hands, which were still smoking. She averted her gaze and continued to sit next to him, silent as well. She didn't want to push him.

"I really don't want to talk to anybody, so don't ask."

She just swung her feet.

"I wasn't gonna."

He nodded as his hands erupted into full-fledged flames. Phoenix jumped, startled, but didn't make a sound otherwise.

"Sorry," he muttered as the flames died back to smoke, and then that too disappeared.

"It's okay, powers are powers. It was actually kind of cool."

He smiled, and a small chuckle escaped his throat.

"Thanks."

Phoenix nodded, "Yeah, she's a real bitch isn't she?"

He chuckled again, but the smoke came back.

"Yeah, she is."

She nodded once more. "I thought as much."

He nodded too, "So Peyton's your cousin, huh?"

"Yeah, best friend, cousin, certifiably insane."

"I figured."

She laughed.

"But I love her, she's here to make sure I don't do anything stupid and violate my parole, so I guess I have to thank her for that. Although, I did pay for her tattoo, so maybe we're even."

"A tattoo is equal to jail?" Warren questioned, finally looking over at her and she grinned.

"Well, the money came from the job I pulled to get me here, so, yeah."

"What job was it?"

"Just a little B and E and a stolen tip jar."

Warren nodded, "So you've never actually done anything dangerous?"

She laughed a real, intense, happy laugh.

"No, I guess not, I'm not a real criminal."

"Yeah, I was already pretty sure of that," he told her as he stood up, collecting his things just as the bell to go to class rang.

"Why?" she questioned, once they walked up the steps together.

He looked over at her for a moment before staring ahead of him again.

"You're too sweet."

She paused but he kept going, never looking back.

"I'm never going to get used to this place," she muttered, finishing running up the steps to get Peyton to class.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Their day was finally over and Peyton and Phoenix were settled on the bus, Peyton suspiciously quiet.

"What's up with you?" Phoenix asked, looking over at her friend, who was brooding out the window.

"What?" she asked, jumping when Phoenix jabbed her with two fingers on the shoulder.

"I asked what was up with you, why does nobody listen to me?"

Peyton just shot her a look before directing her gaze back out the window.

Phoenix tossed her arms up in frustration.

"What's going on? You've never been quiet this long before."

Peyton just shrugged.

"I was thinking."

"You were brooding."

Another shrug.

"Brooding, thinking, same difference."

"Okay," Phoenix sighed, "then what are you thinking about?"

Peyton spared her a glance, the smallest blush tinting her cheeks.

"I can't tell you."

"Can't or won't?"

"Um, either, both, I don't know, pick one."

"Peyton!"

Peyton held her hands up in defense.

"Look, I can't tell you, so stop asking."

"We tell each other everything," Phoenix replied, hoping to guilt her cousin into revealing something, but Peyton would have no part in it.

"Hey, I'm the one who gives guilt trips here," she retorted with a stern finger, "and I will not tell you."

Phoenix just replied with a huff and sank down into the bus seat, her arms crossed over her chest as she brooded on what it was that her cousin wouldn't tell her. She hadn't been lying when she'd said that they told each other everything, because they really did, there was no holds barred on their relationship. So Peyton's secret must be something huge, either that or something that she really wasn't going to like.

The bus landed gracefully on solid ground once more and the entirety of the bus was empty in a matter of fifteen minutes. Peyton and Phoenix were the last to exit.

"This secret wouldn't have anything to do with the theory that you won't tell me about, would it?" Phoenix asked as she and Peyton headed up the front walk to the Williams' home.

Peyton shrugged noncommittally, "You'll see."

For her part, Phoenix rolled her eyes and headed directly up the stairs to her bedroom, to make sure it was clean before Warren came over to aid her in her homework like he always did. Peyton smiled devilishly as she watched her leave, and made sure that she was in her room before pulling out her cell phone and dialing a number from heart.

"Time to put this little plan into action," she murmured quietly to herself as the phone rang and she held it up to her ear.

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	8. I Don't Care

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phoenix tapped her fingers on her desk impatiently. It had been almost two weeks since Peyton had arrived and Warren was still aiding her in her homework, though she was unsure of how long that would last. He and Peyton didn't really get along, and Phoenix could tell that the moody pyrokinetic was at his wits' end. It wasn't that they really hated each other; it was more of the fact that Peyton annoyed him to no end and thoroughly enjoyed doing so. The first night Peyton had been there, Warren had shown up on time as usual, his hair pulled back for once, and Peyton had made the comment somewhere along the line of, _"Do you get hotter every time I see you? Is it like a pyrokinetic thing?"_

Warren had looked surprised at first before settling on a glare and Phoenix had stepped between the two before Peyton could make another, probably less G-rated, remark. The night after that, she'd spilled her drink on his shirt- Phoenix would bet she'd done it on purpose, but couldn't prove it. Peyton had merely smiled at the indignation on Warren's face and suggested innocently that he just remove the soaked article of clothing. Warren's ears turned red at that, and Phoenix pinched her cousin in retribution.

Those were the PG-rated incidents and Phoenix was starting to wonder if maybe, this time, Warren wasn't going to come. He hadn't said anything about it in school earlier, but then again, Warren wasn't that quick to show his feelings.

It was ten past six and Phoenix decided that he wasn't coming; he always made it by five-thirty. She dragged the red binder closer and peered inside at the blank sheet of paper that she was supposed to be composing into an essay on the differences between beams and rays and why it mattered when you were out in the real world fighting crime. She shut the binder.

There was no way she could do it alone.

She was dependent on Warren for her grade in Mad Science.

That wasn't good.

This place was hell.

Then again, it was Friday. Maybe he'd come over later in the weekend to help her, that wouldn't be so unusual.

There was a soft knock on her bedroom door.

"Phoenix you in there?"

It was Warren. Phoenix got up from her chair, a smile spreading over her features that she couldn't control. She swung open her door and Warren was standing in the hallway, his hair pulled back and dark circles under his eyes. He looked exhausted.

"Hey," he murmured. Phoenix was startled, he looked awful.

"Hey, you okay?"

He nodded, yawning as he stepped into her room without invitation and set his things down on her desk, sitting in his usual chair that stayed in front of the desk now.

Phoenix stood by her door for a moment before sitting in her own seat, opening her binder as Warren did the same.

"Warren, you sure you're okay?"

He looked over at her and nodded.

"Yeah, it's cool, I'm just tired."

Phoenix nodded as he dug in his bag for his notes. She wasn't convinced that was all that was wrong, but she knew much better than to try to push Warren Peace into telling her anything personal. Sometimes he'd let something slip, or if she was telling a story about Peyton or her friends, he'd share one of his own, but he never outright volunteered personal information.

"You know, we don't have to do this tonight. Why don't you head home and get some sleep?" she suggested. He glanced down at her as he finally discovered his notes and set them on the desk.

"Can't, I'm busy through the weekend; this is the only night I can help you."

Phoenix nodded as Warren sighed heavily before starting on his paper. She followed suit. She had her introduction done when a thought hit her.

"Sleep here."

Warren's head snapped up at lightning speed.

"What?" he questioned his voice an odd combination of being an octave higher and sounding slightly strangled, like he'd swallowed the wrong way.

She sent him an odd look but didn't comment, "I meant, take a little cat nap here, then we can do this, it can't be that hard."

He looked at her for a long, slightly heated moment and just when she was starting to get uncomfortable, the smallest of smiles tugged at the corner of his lips.

"No thanks, I can handle it."

Phoenix rolled her eyes.

"Yes, thank you patronizing, I know you can, but you still need sleep, so it makes way more sense to handle it here."

He looked skeptical.

"C'mon," she wheedled, "my bed's really comfy."

He looked from her to the aforementioned cozy piece of furniture then back again. Her bed did look comfortable.

"Just take like an hour or so, you know you want to," she smiled smugly at him. "Don't deny yourself."

He sighed; he did want to, he was beyond tired.

"Okay, an hour."

She smiled triumphantly.

"But then back to the homework."

She looked a little crestfallen at that but nodded, "Fine, if I have to."

Warren sighed again, and pushed back his chair before trudging over to Phoenix's bed like it was his death march. He slowly flopped down and then a moan escaped his lips as his body realigned, having not taken a rest all day.

"Ah, excuse you, boots," Phoenix quipped, sounding scandalized. He didn't even bother to open his eyes; he merely kicked off his boots, letting them land where they may on her carpet.

"Thanks."

He was already asleep. Phoenix smiled softly to herself. He did look good on her bed, she had to admit. He looked sweet when he was asleep, the scowl that normally invaded his features was gone, his skin smooth, tan, and flawless. She'd never really noticed before how perfect Warren Peace was. He was tall, muscular, dark hair, dark eyes, tattoos, deep voice and a heart-stoppingly gorgeous smile.

He was God's gift to every heterosexual woman on the planet, not the mention the homosexual men. And he was fast asleep in her bed. Her life certainly had shifted dramatically since she'd left San Francisco and she couldn't help but be grateful.

Warren groaned and turned in his sleep, his back to her now. Her breath caught when she finally got a view of his it, his t-shirt tugged tautly. She'd always had a weakness for backs and Warren's was…dare she even think it…sexy.

Phoenix let out a slow breath and left the room before she did something stupid. Sure, Warren was a total babe, and sure he was fast asleep in her bed, but that did not give her the right to jump him. Even though she wanted to. This was odd, because she didn't really like him, not like that anyway. Yeah he was cute, but not dating material, at least not to her. She had to start thinking about something else.

Water. She needed a glass of water.

She headed down the stairs, bypassing the living room where Peyton and Layla were watching a movie. Mr. and Mrs. Williams had gone out to some heroes' banquet with the Commander and Jetstream.

"Hey Phoenix, how's the homework going?" Layla called out to her as she entered the kitchen and filled a glass at the sink. She drank it in three large gulps and heaved a heavy sigh.

"Fine," she lied, entering the living room and leaning against the wall to see the television.

"What are you guys watching?"

Peyton smiled over at her.

"_Clue._"

Phoenix smiled back, "Good movie."

"Why don't you and Warren take a break and come watch it with us?" suggested Layla, pausing the DVD.

Phoenix smiled and shook her head.

"Thanks Layla, but Warren is kind of…" she tried to think of a way to say it that wouldn't make it seem dirty, but couldn't, "busy."

Peyton jumped right on it.

"Busy? Like something dirty? That kinda busy?"

Phoenix sighed and heartily wished she'd have just stayed upstairs.

"No, he's sleeping."

That sounded weird, even to her. Both Layla and Peyton looked confused.

"What d'you mean, sleeping?" asked Layla.

"You know, closed eyes, dreaming, REM cycle? Sleeping."

Peyton nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, no, I got that, but why is he doing it upstairs in your room?"

"Well…"

"Because you must have done something to make him tired," Peyton continued, almost to herself.

"But I…"

"And if you had, then you'd be tired too and upstairs asleep with him." Her eyes widened. "You slut!"

"Peyton! I didn't do anything to him, okay, so wipe that look off your face, because I know what you're thinking. He was already tired when he got here, and I convinced him to take a nap before we did your homework, that's all."

Layla smiled softly.

"If you say so Phoenix."

The elder Hamilton cousin just sighed heavily and flopped onto the couch next to her redheaded friend as _Clue_ resumed playing on the television.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

About an hour later, the movie was over.

"What time is it?" Phoenix questioned and Peyton looked down at her watch.

"Uh, just about seven-thirty."

"Uh-oh, I better wake up Warren," Phoenix said and with that, she headed upstairs, leaving Layla and Peyton together to make a phone call.

Phoenix entered her room to find that Warren hadn't moved in his sleep except to pull the blankets over him. She almost hated to wake him, he looked peaceful, and it had been obvious by the circles beneath his eyes that he'd needed the rest, but she couldn't have him fast asleep in her bed when the Williamses came home, and with that in mind she headed over to wake him.

"Warren?" she questioned softly, touching his arm and shaking him gently. He didn't even twitch.

"Warren, come on, wake up," she stated a little louder as she shook him a bit harder. He groaned and rolled over towards her, his side hitting the knee she'd placed on the bed, sending shivers up and down her body. There was something about the heat that he radiated that set her nerves to tingling.

He cracked his eyes open and looked up at her in slight confusion for a minute.

"What are you doing here, Hamilton?" he inquired, and Phoenix chuckled.

"I live here, Peace, this is my bedroom, remember?"

His eyes opened completely and he looked around for a moment.

"Oh yeah," he covered lamely as he sat up, Phoenix leaving his side and heading back over to her desk.

"We better work on this essay."

Warren groaned as he stretched before getting up from the bed and sitting in his designated chair.

"Sure."

Forty-five minutes later and they'd finished.

"Listen, thanks for…" Warren trailed off and Phoenix shrugged, watching him pack up his stuff.

"Hey, yeah, no worries."

He nodded as he slung his bag onto his back and opened her door. She followed him down the stairs as per their usual routine.

"Bye Warren," Layla and Peyton chorused sweetly from the living room. Phoenix sent them a look but Warren just waved over his shoulder. Phoenix gave him a small smile as she opened the door.

"Henry?" Phoenix asked as she looked out the open door, surprise written into every line of her features. Warren looked just as startled as the man named Henry smiled widely.

"Hey sweetie."

Phoenix was completely shocked.

"Oh my God!" she squealed, launching herself into his arms, his six foot frame dwarfing her as he spun her around several times to offset the force with which she'd tackled him. Her legs wrapped tight around his waist as they laughed together.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him happily.

"I came to see my best girl," he replied, giving her a sweet kiss to the lips before setting her down, "and to bring a little gift."

"Gift?" she questioned, and they entered the Williams residence, Warren stepping back into the foyer as they did, watching the pair of them.

"Sure thing," Henry replied, holding out a small box to the ecstatic Phoenix who grabbed it quickly.

"What is it?" she asked him. He laughed.

"You have to open it."

She smiled up at him again before tearing into the box. She stopped as the lid clattered to the floor and she got a look inside. Her smile grew as she looked up at her friend.

"Have I mentioned lately that I love you?"

Henry laughed.

"I'm sure you have, but say it again, you know I love hearing it."

"I love you so much right now, put it on, put it on," she squealed, handing him the delicate silver chain from inside the box. Henry just shook his head and laughed at her enthusiasm as she turned and held her hair out of the way. He placed the necklace around her neck. The phoenix charm nestled against her shirt.

"I hope you know I'm expecting one hell of a Christmas gift now," he teased her, and she hugged him once she spun back around.

"Anything, I love it Henry, I really do."

He laughed and swept her up into his arms, spinning her again before settling them on the couch, her sitting on his lap.

Peyton sidled up to a still confused and irritated Warren.

"You're smoking, you know."

He ignored her comment.

"Who is that?"

Peyton rocked back on her feet.

"That's Henry, he and Phoenix go way back."

Warren nodded, clenching his fists. He already didn't like the guy, and his heart and head warred as to the reason why.

------

"So who is tall dark and broody over there?" Henry questioned Phoenix quietly, watching as Warren and Peyton spoke.

"Oh, that's Warren, he's a friend from school."

"A friend, huh?" asked Henry, "Can I have one?"

Phoenix laughed and slapped him on the chest.

"No, he doesn't come in pairs, he's not shoes."

"Damn," came the teasing reply. Phoenix laughed again.

------

Warren felt his chest tighten as Phoenix laughed and slapped Henry's chest as he whispered in her ear. Yeah, he wished he could hit him too, like in the face with his fist.

He growled low in his chest while Peyton kept chattering away. He slid a hand down his face before shaking his head. He needed fresh air.

"I'll see you Monday, Peyton," he interrupted her and started out the door. Peyton looked surprised.

"Okay, then."

He just shut the door behind him.

--------

Phoenix looked over to where Warren and Peyton were, only to see Peyton. She stood up.

"Hey, where's Warren?" she asked her cousin, who shrugged.

"He left."

Phoenix winced and started towards the door.

"Hey, I'll be right back," she told the room, exiting the house, leaving Peyton to introduce Layla to Henry.

"Warren!" Phoenix called into the still warm night air as she jogged to catch up to the much longer strides of Warren, who was already halfway down the block.

"What?" he asked a little tersely, looking down at her as they walked together.

"Listen, I didn't mean to ignore you back there, I never ignore guys I let sleep in my bed," she attempted to joke, but he didn't really seem to care.

"It's fine."

"Warren." She stepped in front of him, making him stop. "Are we okay?"

He looked down at her like she had three heads.

"I just…I really didn't mean to blow you off like that."

He just shook his head.

"It doesn't really matter."

"Sure it does, it was rude."

"Yeah well, your boyfriend showed up so…"

"Whoa, wait, what? Boyfriend? Henry and I aren't dating."

He looked genuinely startled.

"Oh, I just assumed…"

"Yeah, no, Henry's gay. He has a boyfriend, I don't."

Warren nodded, looking sheepish, and if the lighting had been better Phoenix might have noticed that his ears had turned red.

"I should get home, it's late."

Phoenix nodded.

"Yeah, sure."

He was a few feet from her when a thought echoed in her head and even though she knew better than to actually ask it, she couldn't stop herself.

"Why were you so mad when you thought Henry was my boyfriend?"

Warren turned on her, the slightest stream of smoke issuing from his hands. Phoenix instantly regretted asking the question.

"I wasn't mad; I just need to get home."

"Yeah, okay." Her tone stated very clearly that she didn't believe him.

"Look, I couldn't care less about what you do with your personal life, okay?" he thundered, standing so close that she could feel his heat.

"Liar," she called him on it and his hands actually burst into flame.

"I don't care what you do, Hamilton, but don't assume you know anything about my feelings."

Phoenix was stunned. She'd seen Warren erupt into fire before, several times during Save the Citizen, actually, but never in real genuine anger, and never had that real genuine anger been directed at her.

"Fine," she managed as he stalked away from her, angrier than he'd been in a long time. He wasn't entirely sure as to why he had been so offended when Henry had come in, sweeping Phoenix off her feet, literally. Why did it affect him so much to think that Phoenix had a boyfriend? Why did it matter? They were friends, sort of, and it didn't bother him that his other two female friends had boyfriends; actually, he kind of preferred it that way. It made his life easier, believe it or not, because they bothered their boyfriends not him. So wouldn't it just make his life easier if Phoenix did have a boyfriend?

He growled to himself, annoyed with this train of thought. He needed more sleep.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Phoenix reentered the Williams home and sat down next to Henry, looking confused and irritated, unknowingly copying the scowl that Warren so often held.

"What's with you?" Henry asked. "Get in a fight with that tall drink of water you call just a friend?"

Phoenix growled.

"I don't want to hear it, Henry, we didn't fight, it was…I don't know what the hell it was, but I think he's pissed at me."

"For what?" asked Layla.

"For Henry."

"Me?" asked Henry with a teasingly charming grin. "You two got in a fight over me? Trade you with Johnny Depp and that's like my dream fantasy."

Phoenix sent him a questioning glance.

"But Johnny Depp isn't gay."

"Not as far as you know; besides, he hasn't met me yet."

Peyton laughed as Layla blushed lightly.

"What about Micah?" was the reply and Henry shrugged.

"We have a long standing agreement that if Johnny Depp were to ever come along that we'd leave each other for him."

Peyton laughed harder, Layla joining in.

"Well, even if Johnny Depp was gay, Warren isn't," came the triumphant retort, before it became inquiring. "He isn't, is he?"

Layla shook her head.

"I don't think so."

Peyton shrugged. She didn't think he was.

"Honey, if he was gay, that would be one big blow to heterosexual women and one giant victory to homosexual men," Henry broke in.

"Anyway," Layla interceded, "you and Warren got in a fight?"

Phoenix shrugged.

"It wasn't really a fight; he just seemed irritated about Henry."

Peyton grinned and sent a triumphant look to the entire room.

"What's with you?" asked Henry.

"This just proves my theory," she replied.

"And that would be?"

"That Warren really likes Phoenix, and as more than a friend."

The room went silent as each teenager looked over at their friend, who just blushed and ducked her head, having no idea of what to say.

Another fifteen minutes and Henry was headed back to the motel he was staying at. Layla had gone off to bed; leaving Peyton and Phoenix sitting in the living room in silence.

Phoenix sighed heavily and stood.

"I'm going to bed."

Peyton just nodded, watching her cousin leave.

"It's okay to like him back, you know."

Phoenix paused on her walk up the stairs. She turned to look at Peyton and opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She closed her mouth again before finally giving her friend a shrug.

"I don't care, Peyton." She finished her trek up the stairs and into her bedroom, closing the door with a little more finality than she meant to. She groaned and flopped down on her bed, rolled over and buried her face in her pillow, then inhaled. God, it smelled like him. She was in serious trouble.

"He smells good," she moaned to herself as she snuggled under the covers. Oh yeah, she was in trouble.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	9. The Easy Life Shift

Phoenix woke up the next morning, wrapped tight in sheets that smelled just like Warren Peace. Leather, smoke, and roses. It seemed an odd combination to her, but she shrugged, letting it go and slowly getting out of bed. Peyton entered the room without knocking and plopped down on the bed.

"Oh my God, it smells like him," she exclaimed as her movement caused the scent to flood her system.

"I know, doesn't he smell good?" Phoenix asked as she yawned and stretched.

Peyton nodded. "Yeah, he really does."

Phoenix laughed and ran a brush through her hair. Peyton smiled at her and Phoenix caught the reflection in the mirror.

"What?" she asked and Peyton continued to smile.

"It's okay to like him, you know. It's okay to make connections with people other than me, Henry and Micah."

Phoenix sighed heavily and shook her head, continuing to brush her hair. "I know that, Peyton."

"If you know it, then why do you fight it?"

Silence. Phoenix felt tears well up in her throat.

"We hanging out with Henry today?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Yeah, Layla suggested that we show him around town today."

Phoenix nodded, putting her brush down. "Okay."

A little over an hour later; and Layla, Henry, Peyton, and Phoenix were out walking around town, talking, laughing and just generally enjoying each other's company.

"So then," Henry was saying, "so then he tells me, 'Henry, what do hostages have to do with breakfast?'"

Layla and Peyton were holding each other up, laughing hysterically. Phoenix was hanging on Henry's arm, laughing just as hard as her friends.

"So I told him that hostages wasn't what I said, I said sausages."

Layla and Peyton had to stop a minute to catch their breath as they continued to laugh hysterically, almost hyperventilating in their attempt to stop their laughter.

They continued down the street together, the giggling finally subsiding.

"So what now?" Peyton questioned as she swung her shopping bag. Layla and Phoenix both had one as well, and Henry was carrying the other three.

"Well, I'm starving," Henry replied.

"Well, I vote pie," Phoenix broke in and Peyton laughed, abandoning holding onto Layla to toss her free arm around her cousin.

"You're always up for pie, aren't you?"

Phoenix nodded. "Yeah, I really, really am."

"How about you settle for Chinese food?" Layla suggested as they passed The Paper Lantern. Peyton and Henry smiled conspiratorially as Phoenix shrugged in indifference.

"Sure, I can go for some Chinese."

Layla and Peyton bumped fists secretly behind Phoenix's back as they all filed in to the restaurant and got a table. Layla and Henry shared one side of the booth as Peyton and Phoenix slid into the other. The shopping bags sat on the floor and Phoenix slumped momentarily against Peyton.

"Hey, hey, hey, do I look like a Motel Six to you?"

Phoenix just chuckled. "Sorry, you know shopping exhausts me."

A waitress came to take their orders and then left to put them in the kitchen. "Whoa, you didn't tell me that T.D.O.W. worked here!" Henry sounded scandalized, looking around the table. The girls just looked confused.

"Tall Drink Of Water," Henry clarified, and each girl suddenly looked around to find the aforementioned water.

"I forgot," was the lame response from Layla, and Phoenix rolled her eyes.

"You didn't forget, you twisted little tree hugger."

"It was Peyton's idea," Layla defended and Peyton scoffed.

"It wasn't so much an idea as a sort of vague plan."

Phoenix just laughed as the waitress came back with their orders and each teenager dug into their lunches. She should be angry that she was being sort of set up by her friends, but she couldn't seem to manage it; and had no desire to dissect exactly why she wasn't incensed by the very idea of being set up with Warren Peace.

"Hey Warren!" Peyton called out as the broody pyrokinetic passed by their table, his apron tied around his waist and a jug of water in his hand. He stopped and looked over at the group, and although his eyebrows furrowed slightly when his dark gaze passed over Henry, he didn't comment.

"Hey guys," he responded, looking a little wary. Layla smiled genuinely at him and waved him over.

"Have time to sit down?" she asked him and he looked around the relatively empty restaurant.

The lunch rush hadn't started in yet so he figured that he had the time to chat without getting in trouble with his bosses for sitting down. Phoenix looked up at him with a sort of guarded expression; no doubt her thoughts were surrounding the one thing that he couldn't get out of his mind. Their little spat. He switched sides of the table.

"Sure, I guess I can take a couple of minutes." He slid in next to Phoenix and sent her a soft grin that told her that their fight from the night before was now null and void. That they were good again. She returned the grin, the slight heaviness that had been cast over the group suddenly gone, and Henry noticed something.

The comfort of the two of them.

Their arms touched, but neither seemed to notice or care. Their conversation was effortless, carefree, and Warren very easily picked off Phoenix's plate. In particular, the water chestnuts and some of the broccoli, which Henry knew from personal experience, were two things that Phoenix did not enjoy eating. Sometimes she handed him a piece of chicken, which he accepted gladly, and as the two of them spoke they sat close, leaning into one another as though all they had to say were a secret, even though the entirety of the table was privy to the conversation. They laughed at the same jokes and everything between them seemed intimate, even their laughter.

And what was worse, they didn't even seem to realize it.

"So, exactly what is your power, Warren?" Henry broke into the conversation, and Phoenix looked over at him, continuing to smile as Warren favored him with an almost callous glare.

"I'm pyrokinetic," he told him, his voice dark as he demonstrated by lighting the tip of his finger, then the candle on the table. Henry grinned and nodded.

"Cool."

"Your power?" Warren asked in turn and Henry shrugged.

"Don't have one, I'm a citizen."

Warren seemed surprised by that. "Oh, really?"

Henry nodded. "Yeah, I know Phoenix from her old school."

Warren seemed to understand quickly. "Because your old school was a citizen school, right?" he asked Phoenix, ignoring Henry.

"Right," she replied, smiling. He smiled back at her and for just a second, it was like they were the only two in the entire restaurant. The other three at the table looked at one another with knowing smiles on their faces but didn't say anything and quickly put their faces back in neutral when Warren and Phoenix realized what they were doing and quickly looked away.

"I...uh...I gotta get back to work." Warren stood.

"Okay, see you around, Warren," Layla replied as Phoenix waved.

"Catch you later, Warren."

"See you, Phoenix."

He left them to finish their lunches and pick up the check. Henry watched him go with a contemplative look on his face that Phoenix quickly caught onto.

"What are you doing, checking him out?" she accused as she latched onto her gay best friend's arm. Henry smiled and shrugged in an impish sort of way. Phoenix sent him a warning glance. He held his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"Don't worry, I know he's yours."

She looked scandalized. "He is not mine, he's a friend."

Henry looked over his shoulder towards the restaurant they had just left but he didn't look convinced. "If you say so," he shrugged, then looked down at his not so full arms. "Shit, I forgot a bag in there. Hang on, I'll go get it."

He spun on his heel without waiting for a response and ducked back into the restaurant. He collected the bag still on the floor of their booth and ran into Warren, who was cleaning the table.

"Hey." He sounded startled and Warren turned to look at him, seeming nonplussed.

"Hey."

Henry bit the inside of his cheek before saying something he knew that Phoenix would kill him for if she ever found out. "You like her, don't you?"

Warren looked at him, curious. "Like who?"

Henry rolled his eyes in a fine imitation of his best friend and resisted the urge to smack Warren Peace upside the head. "Phoenix, you know, the girl you just spent the entirety of the meal flirting with?"

Warren's ears turned red but he didn't say anything, he just glowered as he continued to clean off the table. Henry again resisted the urge to lash out with violent physical anger and instead opted to bite his cheek again.

"Look, I know you like her, and I know she likes you, so come on, tell."

Warren glanced over his shoulder at the man who irked him so. He felt flames rise in his chest until they itched at the tips of his fingers, begging him to let them out, to unleash them on the man behind him who had the audacity to assume that he knew what his feelings towards Phoenix Hamilton were. And he was annoyed with the assumption, and what was even worse, a part of him knew that he was annoyed because the assumption was right.

He did like Phoenix Hamilton.

He had liked her for a while now. He'd know her for almost two months and he'd known that he was going to like her the moment he saw her. She was beautiful, with dark hair and eyes, smooth soft skin and a sweet smile. She did rebellious things, she had parents she didn't particularly like and she was loyal to the friends she'd made while she'd been at Sky High, but still hung out with her old friends. She was intelligent, but knew when to ask for help.

He'd liked her for over a month now and he thought he'd done a rather brilliant job in covering it up. She didn't seem any the wiser, and that was encouraging, because he still was unsure of what he wanted to do with his feelings. But this…this kid from her past waltzed in and in one lunch had figured out that he liked Phoenix.

Damn.

"Okay, so maybe I do, what's the point?"

Henry grinned. "The point is, that I think you could make her happy." He turned, bag in hand to leave the restaurant and smiled at Warren, who looked dumbstruck and whose ears were still red. "And she deserves to be happy."

He exited The Paper Lantern, a smile on his face as he met up with Phoenix, who was waiting just outside the door, looking as though she'd been on the verge of coming in after him.

"Hey, what took so long?"

Henry sighed dramatically and flopped an arm across his eyes like a bad actress in a silent film. "I was so tired from shopping I had to sit down again, and I'm still so tired. Too tired to walk. Go on without me. Save yourself."

She laughed and grabbed onto his arm, dragging him towards a chatty Layla and Peyton, whose conversation stopped when they got closer, but Phoenix was so intent on Henry that she missed it.

"I'll remember that for the next time that we scale Mt. Everest. Now come on, you drama queen."

His arm dropped quickly back to his side. "Did you just call me a queen?"

She shrugged as they reached the rest of their group. "If the tiara fits."

He just laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they all headed back to the Williams residence.

Warren finished his shift at The Paper Lantern and tossed his leather coat on, abandoning his apron and letting his captive hair out of its ponytail. He sighed heavily as he stepped out into the early evening and inhaled the crisp air. It was officially fall and he liked it. There was something comforting about autumn.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and ducked his head down, headed towards home. He bit his lip as he thought about his day, something impossible for him not to do. He tried to careen his thoughts from Phoenix and what Henry had said, but he couldn't; he'd thought about it all through his shift and he was sure that he would continue to think about it even when he tried to sleep.

He did like Phoenix.

He would be rather happy (a slightly frightening thought) if Phoenix really did like him back like Henry was so sure that she did. He would like nothing better than to be able to reach out and hold her hand, or kiss her, or anything really that would put him in more intimate physical contact with her. Though he might spontaneously combust; he'd nearly had had a heart attack when she'd suggested that he sleep in her bed.

He shook his head violently and shifted his shoulders. He needed to think about something else, and quick. He needed a train of thought that wasn't so detrimental to his mental health.

He let out a steady stream of air and changed course, taking out his cell phone to tell his mom that he was going to be late.

Phoenix and Henry were lounging on the couch of the William's home, Mrs. Williams in the kitchen baking with completely organic ingredients, along with Layla and Peyton, while Mr. Williams was upstairs in the shower.

All in all, it was a gentle and calming night at home. Henry and Phoenix were laughing and catching up, chatting about old times, when the doorbell rang. Phoenix sighed and got up from the couch, pushing off Henry's thigh to give herself better leverage. She headed over to the door and swung it open, looking surprised when she saw who was on the doorstep.

"Warren, hey."

He smiled at her, momentarily sticking her feet to the floor. "Hey, mind if I come in?" he asked her, looking a little unsure of himself. She smiled back at him, and took a step back.

"Sure, come on in."

"Thanks." He stepped into the house, intentionally brushing his arm against her. She involuntarily shivered and further distanced the pair of them.

"Hey, Warren!" Henry greeted from his place on the couch, and Warren waved hello. Layla and Peyton came out from the kitchen, soft smiles on their faces as Phoenix took Warren's leather jacket and hung it up.

"Hi, Warren."

"Peace."

They greeted him and he smiled in turn, returning their gestures of greeting. "You thirsty?" Phoenix asked him, and he stared at her for a moment before nodding mutely.

"Uh…" he found his voice, "sure."

He followed her into the kitchen, Peyton and Layla following to finish their baking. Mrs. Williams looked up as the teenagers entered and she smiled at Warren, having always enjoyed the pyrokinetic's company and the faithful friend that he was to her daughter.

"Hello, Warren," she greeted him sweetly with a soft grin that he readily returned.

"Hi, Mrs. Williams, how are you doing?" he asked politely, and her smile solidified.

"I'm doing wonderfully, thank you for asking."

Henry entered to see what was happening while Phoenix was filling a glass with water for Warren, who was leaning against the counter, staring at her.

Henry cleared his throat and that seemed to bring the pyrokinetic back to his senses. He glanced over at Peyton and the hippie. "What are you guys baking?" he asked, and Layla looked up at him while stirring a large bowl.

"Brownies right now, but we were thinking chocolate chip cookies too."

Warren nodded as Phoenix handed him his glass. He thanked her.

"Well, I'll let you kids talk for a bit, I have to do some laundry, if you need me. Layla, will you put these brownies in the oven?" Mrs. Williams questioned as she left the room.

"Sure, Mom."

Layla set the bowl down and turned to get the pan. Henry snuck his finger into the bowl and was almost out again when Layla turned and caught him. She reached out quickly, slapping the back of his hand with her mixing spoon, effectively flinging brownie batter across the room to land partially on the floor and partially all over Phoenix, a splatter freckling across her face. She started as if struck and gasped.

"Oh, what was that for?" she demanded of a sheepish Layla.

"Sorry."

She merely shrugged and stepped forward, dipping her fingers in the batter and smearing it across Layla's own face. "Brown is your color, sweetie," she teased and Henry laughed.

"Think this is funny?" Layla questioned as she flicked her spoon forward and splattered the gay man as well. Now the entire kitchen was laughing and with a shriek of surprise, a giant glob of batter made its way into Phoenix's hair.

"What the…?" She spun, looking over her shoulder at a grinning Warren, his hands covered in the brown gooey liquid. He looked impish and she growled playfully in her chest.

"Really, that's your plan of attack, stepping this close to me?"

He looked like he was contemplating it for a moment and Phoenix lashed out with her own handful of brownie batter, splashing his beautiful face.

Then it was war.

The kitchen became filled with shrieks and laughter and flying brownie batter. The five teenagers slid around the floor, throwing the batter, smearing it across each other with a ridiculous amount of glee. Once the brownie batter was gone, the entire room was dirty, and each teenager was effectively streaked with the slightly drying brown goop, they all took a pause. Each was still laughing lightly, breathing heavily, and leaning against some place on the large amount of counter top.

"We are disgustingly and thoroughly filthy," Henry sighed, and Phoenix laughed, leaning ever so slightly against Warren's sturdy frame.

"Yeah, and you know you love it."

Warren looked down at her and couldn't help but smile. She was leaning against both the counter and his arm, the warm pressure comforting. Her face was smudged with the brown gooey liquid, driblets of it working their way across her jaw line and down her neck, making him wonder how it would taste if he were to lean forward and capture one of the rivulets with his tongue. Because in a way, her brownie smeared face and body was incredibly sexy, but on the other hand it was a ridiculous sight and not exactly what he had expected to happen when he'd stopped by.

Mrs. Williams chose that moment to enter the kitchen once more and she gasped in horror at the state of her kitchen, snapping Warren from his thoughts of the girl next to him.

"What happened in here?" she managed after a moment or two.

"Uh…" Layla stuttered, looking at her mother with more than a little bit of fear.

"Brownie batter battle," Peyton confessed, and Mrs. Williams continued to gape at the sight of her kitchen and the teenagers.

"Okay, everybody outside."

They all looked at one another before shrugging and trudging out into the darkened backyard. Mrs. Williams followed them, looking bemused. She had them all line up and then she got out the garden hose.

The line of teenagers were stunned for a moment, but Mrs. Williams didn't give them a chance to say anything before she turned the hose on and then aimed it towards them. Shrieks of slight terror filled the blackening night air as the freezing cold water hit their skin and stuck their clothes to them. They all turned and dodged the water, but it was over twenty minutes before Mrs. Williams deemed them clean enough to reenter her home. But even so, she did make them come into the basement, and separate them into boys and girls, before giving them dry clothes to change into. Then she had them march right upstairs, back into the kitchen and handed them each a sponge while the sink was filling with hot, soapy water.

"I want this kitchen spotless when I get back," she told them all sternly before leaving the room and the teenagers to their cleaning.

"Ugh, great." Peyton looked around the room, thinking that their task was impossible; they had even managed to get brownie batter on the ceiling.

"Eww, we really demolished this room, didn't we?" Henry questioned, following Peyton's gaze.

"Well, we better get started."

They each tackled a part of the room and over an hour later, the room was as clean when they had started baking. Now they were all sprawled out on the floor, exhausted after their battle and the subsequent cleaning up. Phoenix's head landed on Henry's exposed bicep.

"So what exactly did you come over for?" Phoenix inquired of Warren, turning so her cheek hit the warm skin that covered Henry's muscle; to look him in the eye. He turned his head to look at her as well and shrugged.

"I…uh…you know, I really don't remember." In truth he had come over to see her; he had been thinking about her the entire day, ever since Henry had mentioned their attraction to one another, and he had needed to see her. So he'd come by.

She smiled at him. "Okay then."

His eyes scanned her face, make-up free; and scrubbed clean. She really was quite pretty. Her lips were full, her nose fit her face, and her eyes were expressive. Then his gaze trailed over a smear of batter that Mrs. William's hose had missed.

"You…uh…have a little…" He gestured to above her left eye but she just looked at him like he was nuts. Then her hand came up to attempt to clean it off but she missed it.

"No it's…here, just let me get it." Henry reached over with his sponge and erased the smear.

She giggled. "Thanks."

She closed her eyes tightly as a trail of soapy water threatened to enter them and Henry made contact with her skin as his thumb stopped the water trail and dried her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him once more.

"Thanks again."

"You're welcome," he murmured, and for a second, Warren felt an unfamiliar swell of emotion in his chest.

"You all done in here?" Mrs. Williams came back, and the kids slowly sat up. As the space between Henry and Phoenix became larger, that difficult emotion constricting Warren's breath dissipated.

"Yeah, everything's clean."

"Uh-huh."

"Yes."

They answered at once, and Mrs. Williams smiled, looking down at her watch. "That's wonderful; hopefully you won't have a repeat performance when you girls bake cookies tomorrow afternoon."

She sounded stern, but she was smiling in amusement. "It's getting late anyway. Warren, Henry, you guys better head home."

"Sure thing, Mrs. W," Henry answered as he got up off the floor, offering both Layla and Peyton assistance. Warren stood as well, and turned to take both of Phoenix's hands to haul her to her feet with a little more force than necessary. She stumbled forward a bit and he steadied her gently by gripping her waist.

He held on a bit longer than entirely necessary. And if he had done it on purpose, no one knew it but him. They all moved towards the door, Mrs. Williams handing the boys back their brownie smeared clothes as they went. They each thanked her, apologized for messing up her kitchen, and took their leave of the house. Henry gave each girl a hug and a kiss to the temple before lingering with Phoenix and whispering something in her ear. She blushed bright red, but otherwise didn't comment.

Warren simply waved goodbye, his hand twitching towards Phoenix for just a moment before he exited the Williams home, shrugging his black leather jacket back on over his borrowed clothes of Mr. Williams', Henry following just a few seconds later.

Phoenix sighed heavily as she collapsed against the now closed door. "Well, that was a fantastic evening!"

The other girls agreed as they all trudged up to bed. "Hey Phoenix?" Peyton asked as they reached their respective bedroom doors, all still standing in the hallway.

"Yeah, Peyton?"

"What did Henry whisper to you?"

Phoenix shrugged and smiled impishly, enjoying Peyton's desperation to know. "Nothing, don't you worry about it."

She opened her bedroom door, changed, and dropped into bed, her sheets still smelling of Warren Peace. Their relationship had gone through a shift, she sensed it. They got closer, touched a little more, laughed more. It was nice, and if she didn't know any better, it was almost like she'd accidentally walked into the easy life.


	10. Battle Royale

By Monday morning, Henry had gone back to San Francisco, and Micah, and the girls were back in school.

By lunch, Phoenix was already having a terrible day. She'd gotten a D in Mad Science on an answer she'd given in class, and couldn't decide if that was because Warren was a bad tutor or if was more the fact that she didn't really pay attention to what it was that Warren was saying because she was completely distracted by his mouth and how absolutely kissable it looked.

She was losing her mind.

Ever since Henry had whispered…well, she didn't like to think about it; it merely made her blush and that wouldn't do anything other than embarrass her.

She walked down the hallway, completely absorbed in her own thoughts until her shoulder was slammed into, causing her to fall down and scatter all her books and papers across the linoleum. She looked sharply at the person who had run into her and instantly knew that it had been on purpose.

Sophie Freeze stood haughtily over her, hands on her hips and a smirk on her lips. "Why don't you watch where you're going?"

"Excuse me?" Phoenix demanded as she struggled to her feet. "I'm pretty sure that you were the one to bang into me."

Sophie let out a fake little giggle and shifted to lean her weight on the other hip. "Like someone as small as me could knock down someone as…" she looked Phoenix up and down and her smirked intensified, "…large… as you."

Before Phoenix could retort, the blonde was on her way back down the hallway, leaving Phoenix completely alone to pick up all her scattered belongings and get them to her lunch table.

She reached her usual seat, slamming all her papers and books down before plopping into her chair. "Ah, I hate her!" she exclaimed. Peyton nodded, looking at her cousin with the smallest of smiles.

"Me too."

Phoenix rolled her eyes. "You don't even know who I'm talking about."

Peyton shrugged and bit into her sandwich. "Solidarity, sister." She held up a fist in a motion of power and it brought a small smile to her cousin's lips.

"Sophie Freeze."

"Ah, I should have known."

The rest of the table was completely absorbed in the conversation, even Warren, who had gone so far as to set down his book and give Phoenix his complete attention.

"I'm assuming she had something to do with this," he suggested as he picked up a sheet of paper and gestured to the random pile of belongings. Phoenix nodded and started shoving papers in a folder.

"Yes, she slams into me on purpose, then has the audacity to pretend that she didn't."

Warren felt his hands start to smoke and he put them in his lap to hide that fact. "Oh, then she had the balls to call me fat."

There was a cry of outrage from every female at the table, even Magenta. Because as every girl in the world knows, that even if you aren't fat (which Phoenix really wasn't) it still was a major insult and ego blow to be called so.

The boys at the table all had the good sense not to ask why that was so terrible and Zack even went so far as to venture his opinion. "I don't think you're fat, Phoenix."

She smiled a genuinely happy smile. "Thank you, Zack, I appreciate that."

"At least you can kick her ass in Save the Citizen," Peyton suggested helpfully, and Phoenix looked confused as she continued to shove papers anywhere that they'd fit, not worried about organization.

"What are you talking about? Save the Citizen is only on Fridays."

Peyton shook her head, a proud grin flitting across her countenance as she discovered that she knew something that Phoenix didn't; a rare occurrence.

"Coach Boomer is off for some reason, so they're having it today because apparently it's vital to our education as the future superheroes of the world. And, if she bumped into you, twenty bucks says that she'll call you out in Save the Citizen."

Phoenix nodded, knowing that Save the Citizen wasn't really her thing, but maybe this time, it'd be worth it, just to kick Sophie's ass.

Sophie Freeze and Michael Corrine were up first for Save the Citizen, Michael deciding that they were to be villains. Coach Boomer seemed surprised by this, as did Sophie, given that the pair had chosen to be heroes every other time they'd played since freshman year, but he let it go and told them to pick their opponents.

Michael instantly had chosen Warren, and let Sophie make the other choice. Sophie pretended to think about it for a good minute or two before finally choosing Phoenix, who had been anticipating it. She hadn't expected Warren to be her partner, but wasn't complaining, because his fire could so easily drown out Sophie's freezing. Corrine was a muscle man, nothing more than testosterone and weightlifting. A big guy at six-four and two hundred and fifty pounds of solid muscle, one would think that he'd be a terrifying opponent for a girl who was five-six and one hundred and thirty pounds. But Phoenix was delighted: he was huge, and slow, she was smaller, and relatively quick. As long as Warren kept Freeze distracted, she'd be able to get to the citizen without a problem.

They all stood, dressed, and ready. Phoenix was facing Corrine, and having the disconcerting thought that he was a lot larger when they were on even surface, but she trusted her speed, and Warren's ability to distract his ex.

"Hamilton, Hothead, you're the heroes. You have three minutes to immobilize your opponent and save the citizen," Boomer called out to them as their names appeared on the giant scoreboard and he set his stopwatch. "Ready. Set. Battle!"

A horn sounded and the battle began, the citizen mechanically shouting "Save me!" as the two teams of super teens sized each other up. Then, something Warren and Phoenix weren't ready for: their opponents switched tactics.

Corrine went for Warren as Sophie came after Phoenix.

The citizen dropped a few inches.

Corrine swung out at Warren, who dodged easily and tossed the smallest of fireballs at him. Boomer laughed, enjoying his view of what he considered a good time, ignoring the several fouls that had taken place in the last few seconds.

Phoenix was surprised at the switch and her momentary lapse of judgment allowed Sophie to get in a swirl of ice and snow. Phoenix grit her teeth and bent low, doing her best to shield herself and make her body as small a target as possible.

Sophie Freeze merely laughed and Phoenix could hear the distinctive crunch of one of the boys hitting the sideboards, she was unsure as to which one, but the sound still made her a little queasy.

Sophie paused just for a minute, allowing Phoenix to gather her strength and send a telekinetic shockwave out, hitting Sophie around the knees and knocking her back a few feet.

Phoenix went for the citizen but Sophie hit her again with ice and snow. However, the blonde ice queen had learned from their last little encounter and didn't give Phoenix time to react with her own powers; she merely stepped closer and hit her again as quickly as possible.

Phoenix resisted the urge to scream, the icicles slicing through her skin; at least that's what it felt like to her. It hurt, a lot, and her agility wouldn't help her against Sophie Freeze, given they were pretty much even in height and weight.

Vaguely Peyton's voice echoed in her ears, but she couldn't make out what it was that she was saying. Then the barrage of ice and snow stopped.

The citizen dropped a few more inches, now barely a foot above the spiked death machine.

Warren was latched onto Sophie's arm, keeping her preoccupied as Phoenix stood and looked around wildly for Corrine. The muscle man came into view quickly, tossing Warren aside like he was nothing more than a feather, freeing Sophie from his strong grip. Phoenix rolled her eyes as Corrine went back to attacking Warren and Sophie returned to attacking her.

She had had enough.

The citizen dropped a few more inches.

Phoenix reeled back and punched an unsuspecting Sophie Freeze right in the nose, causing the blonde to tumble backwards onto her ass. Half the crowd cheered, half of them groaned.

Boomer seemed torn between calling a foul and letting it go.

Michael and Warren paused in their fighting to look at the bloody front of Sophie Freeze and the already bruising knuckles of Phoenix Hamilton, before Warren went on the offense; keeping Corrine distracted, Phoenix mustered up the last dredges of her telekinetic ability and got the citizen safely down to her awaiting arms.

The horn blew again and the fight was called to an end.

Warren dropped his hands but Corrine went for one last swing, and got him, right across the jaw, sending him flying backwards and into the wall. He didn't get up for what seemed like hours, but was most likely seconds, and then Boomer's whistle blew.

"Two fouls!" he called and the entirety of the gym, minus Phoenix and Warren, looked up at his chair.

Phoenix was too busy kneeling next to Warren, grasping his arm and helping him to unsteady feet, and Warren was too busy trying not to move his jaw.

"Corrine for hitting after the time is over!" Boomer called, Phoenix ignored him until he opened his mouth again, "And Hamilton for bodily harm!"

"What?" Phoenix roared, outraged, spinning to look at Boomer and dropping Warren's arm.

"You heard me, Hamilton, the both of you, get cleaned up and then to one hour detention after school!"

Phoenix stood there, gaping up at him like a fish out of water. She couldn't believe this. She had been defending herself and she got in trouble for it? What the hell was this? Wasn't the whole point of Save the Citizen to simulate an actual battle between good and evil? Did they really just expect her to lie down and take a beating? Especially from the likes of Sophie Freeze?!

She knew she hated this school. Totally fascist.

"Freeze, Peace, head to the nurses' station!" Boomer called a few seconds later, noticing that Sophie's nose was still bleeding, and that Warren was gingerly attempting to move his jaw to assess the damage done to it.

Each of the four teenagers did as they were told. Warren and Sophie headed over to the nurses' station without changing, and Corrine and Phoenix headed to their separate locker rooms to clean up and then get to detention.

"Can you believe that they won?" Ethan asked excitedly as he and his group of friends all headed to their lockers, changed from gym, and readied to go home.

"What I can't believe is that Phoenix clocked Sophie," mused Magenta, sounding a little proud of it.

Layla and Peyton nodded, smiling. They were all proud of their friend and would be properly annoyed for her when she came home, sure to be ranting and raving about the unfairness of the situation.

"But what was up with Corrine, man?" questioned Zack as they all headed out to the platform.

"I know," Will jumped in. "I wonder why he chose to be a villain?"

"Probably so he could pummel Warren; did you see how he went after him?" Magenta replied as she, Zack, and Ethan got on their appropriate bus, Will and Layla flying together. Each of them musing on the more than exciting game of Save the Citizen.

Phoenix changed her clothes hurriedly and then collected her stuff and headed off to detention, praying to God that this school wasn't like a citizen school and called your parents with stuff like this. Because if they did, she was in a shitload of trouble with her parents and probably with Layla's as well; after all, she was living under their roof. And damn her luck that she had to do her detention with Corrine in the room.

Warren stalked down to the nurses' station as requested, although he knew he probably wouldn't need her help. His jaw was already feeling better; he was nothing if not a quick healer. However, it would be totally worth it to listen to Spex's rambling on and on about nothing just to get to see Sophie Freeze with a bloody nose up close and personal.

He entered the office and Nurse Spex looked at him once and told him to have a seat that she'd be with him in a moment. Sophie Freeze was on the examination table, her head tilted backwards, a cloth stained with her blood held up to her nose. After a few more seconds, Spex allowed her to lower her head and remove the cloth.

Warren watched her face. Her eyes were red and puffy, she'd been crying, and her nose was crooked. It was definitely broken; blood smeared over the majority of her face. All in all, Sophie Freeze looked like a total mess and Warren wanted to feel good about that fact, but he also felt a small pang of worry. For as much as he hated the bitch for what she'd done to him and much more recently, how she was treating Phoenix, he still didn't want her hurt. Emotionally maybe, but not physically.

Still, as Spex told her that she'd have to go get her nose set by a plastic surgeon, since it had been broken in two different places, he couldn't help but feel a warm swell of pride that Phoenix had done that, and with only one punch.

It was impressive.

Phoenix finished her detention and was on the bus home when her cell phone rang. She looked down at the screen to see her father's name flashing.

So Sky High did call your parents when you got detention.

Great, that was exactly what she needed to top off her day.

She debated pushing the button to ignore him but knew that would only get her in more trouble later; when it came to her father, it was best to get it over with quickly, else he had time to fester and really put thought into what he was going to say when he yelled at her.

"Hello?" she asked tentatively, knowing full well that he was going to open with yelling.

"_What in the hell is your problem?"_ he demanded, sounding enraged.

"Nice to talk to you, too, Dad," was the sarcastic reply. He chose to ignore her.

"_Punching another student? And detention? What are you doing there? We sent you there to make you better, not worse!"_

"Yeah, well, she deserved it," was the only thing that Phoenix could think to say. Her heart was weighed down heavily in her chest, bright tears forming in her eyes, but dear God she would not let them fall, she would not let him do this to her, she wouldn't let him affect her like this.

"_And Arctic Freeze's daughter? Are you trying to give me enemies? Why don't you ever think about how your actions are going to affect the family, Phoenix? Damn it, you are such a disappointment."_

Her throat tightened, as did her grip on the phone as the bus came to a stop about a block away from the Williams home. She slowly stood up and exited the bus, all but hyperventilating in her attempt not to sob.

"_You know, I thought at one point I could expect better from you. I guess I was wrong. There is no reason for you to act like this Phoenix, now clean up your act, or I will let them take you to jail."_

Now, she was a little angry, a small fire having lit itself in the pit of her stomach.

"If you do that, then what will people say? Huh? Wyatt Hamilton's daughter in jail? How scandalous!"

Her father's irate tone came back, _"Don't you talk like that to me, Phoenix Trinity Hamilton! I will let them take you to jail and I will sever all ties to you if they do that. Clean up the act."_

That was his last word. He hung up the phone without so much as a goodbye and Phoenix felt her stomach churn, that fire gone. She closed her cell phone and returned it to her pocket, shifting her backpack on her shoulder as she reached the front door to the Williams home. Her home.

Well, it certainly felt a hell of a lot more like home to her than San Francisco.

Her tears caught up with her and she felt a few leak down her face. She attempted to pull them back but couldn't. The dam had been broken.

She tossed her backpack in the grass and collapsed on the front steps, her head in her hands, sobbing her heart out. She couldn't go in and face them, not yet, she had to calm down. She'd never liked crying in front of people. Never liked breaking down. It just wasn't her style.

She sobbed for what seemed like seconds, but was probably much longer, before she heard someone nervously clearing their throat. She looked up quickly to see Warren standing in front of her, his hands in his pockets, looking unsure. She quickly ducked her head again and wiped her tears, trying to think of something that would help her get her face back to neutral.

"Hey," he greeted her, his brow furrowed; he looked and sounded incredibly uncomfortable, "are you okay?"

She nodded, still wiping her eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry about me, I'm…" She couldn't finish the sentence; her tears were threatening to close her throat again.

To his credit, Warren didn't agree or contradict her. He merely sat down on the steps beside her as close as he could get without actually touching her and put his hands in his lap.

"You wanna talk about it?" he asked her, again sounding as though this was the last place he wanted to be.

She looked out in front of her, debating on whether or not she could tell him. He waited in silence, not pushing, letting her tell him when she was ready.

"My dad called after detention. Apparently Principal Powers called him and told him all about Save the Citizen. He was irate. I've never heard him so angry or so disappointed."

Warren nodded, still silent, offering her emotional support.

She hiccupped before continuing. "He told me that I was a disappointment and that if I didn't clean up my act, he would let them take me to jail."

Warren turned to look at her sharply as her tears came back.

"I told him that it would be an embarrassment if I went to jail, people know I'm his daughter. He said that he'd sever all ties with me. He'd cut me out of the family."

Heart-wrenching sobs came back and Warren wrapped a tight arm around her shoulders. He knew exactly how she was feeling. Tied down by a man whose name she shared but whose wishes she defied. His own father hadn't been there for him, and so his heart broke when she sobbed because he knew what that was like.

She resisted for a moment or two before finally collapsing against his side and chest, gripping his t-shirt like it was her last lifeline and sobbing her heart out.

He rocked her gently and ran a soothing hand over her hair, trapping her effectively between his two arms and against his chest.

"Shhh, it's gonna be okay, Phoenix, it's gonna be okay."

"I just thought…" she trailed off, her sobs too harsh to form any more words. Warren shifted just a bit to get closer to her and she gripped him tighter, her other hand around his arm now.

"I've got you," he soothed, "it's gonna be okay."

"I…" She attempted to verbalize her thought again, but once more was thwarted by the tears still pouring from her brown eyes. Warren's hand kept smoothing her hair as his other arm wrapped around her back, effectively cradling her without her sitting on his lap.

"You just thought that he was your dad, and all you wanted was for him to love you."

Warren spoke her thought for her and for a moment it silenced her sobs. Then, a few minutes later those sobs became muffled and trailed off into very undignified sniffles. She attempted to sit up and wipe her face, but Warren's grip was strong and she just collapsed right back into him.

His hand continued to run through her hair as she released his arm and wiped her face as clean as she could. "How did you know that's what I wanted to say?" she asked him, managing to keep the hiccups to a minimum.

He smiled wryly at the top of her head, and she would swear she felt him kiss the crown of her hair, but she wasn't sure.

"Because I have a dad who is in jail, who couldn't give up his bad tendencies to be with me and love me; because I know how you feel."

She sniffled and gripped him tighter. "I'm sorry I just got mascara all over your shirt."

He shrugged, still holding her, still rocking her, his chin resting against the top of her head now. "Doesn't matter, it's black anyway, you can't see it."

She smiled softly. "At least one thing good happened today." Well, two if she was counting what was happening right now, but she wouldn't say it out loud with Warren right there.

"What's that?" he asked her, his grip loosening just a bit now that he was sure she wasn't going to go back into hysterics, but not anywhere loose enough to suggest that he wanted her to leave his embrace.

"I got to punch Sophie Freeze."

Warren chuckled. "And break her nose in two places."

She turned in his embrace to look up at him in question. "Really?" she asked and he smiled a real thousand-watt smile.

"Yeah, Spex said she'd need a plastic surgeon."

Phoenix laughed a real, happy laugh. "Well, I bet her daddy wasn't expecting to pay for two nose jobs."

It was Warren's turn to laugh and for a moment, it was just the two of them, holding onto one another tightly, smiling and looking into one another's faces.

Warren reached out and gently wiped a stray tear from her cheek. That seemed to break Phoenix of her reverie. "Oh god, I must look like a hot mess," she exclaimed, pulling away from him and wiping her eyes again to attempt to reduce her teary-eyed raccoon look. Warren let her go reluctantly.

"Well, you're half right," he told her and she looked at him in surprise. Did he just imply that she was hot?

He smiled at her. "You are a mess."

She laughed again and playfully shoved him with her shoulder. He playfully nudged her back. "You're mean to me."

"Yeah, I know."

They smiled at one another again and then Phoenix took a deep breath. "I better get inside, they're probably expecting me."

Warren nodded, standing as Phoenix did. He bent down and picked up her backpack, handing it to her without a word. She took it.

"Thanks Warren."

He nodded. "Not a problem."

She bounced on her toes for a minute before leaning up and gently kissing his cheek, promising herself that she would commit to perfect memory exactly how she felt in that moment. His skin was warm, soft, smooth, and she could just imagine how kissing him for real would be.

She really was losing her mind. She pulled back quickly, probably quicker than normal, but if Warren noticed he didn't mention it. In fact, he looked quite speechless.

"Really, thanks."

He nodded again. "Anytime."

She started up the stairs as he started back down the sidewalk. She stopped on the porch and turned back to face him. "You wanna come in? We're baking again."

He grinned in remembrance. "No, it took me hours to get those brownie stains out my clothes, my mom had a fit. Besides, I gotta get to work."

She nodded. "Okay then, I'll see you later for tutoring?"

"Sure, I'll see you then."

He walked away as she let herself in the front door and deposited her backpack where it belonged on the stairs before heading into the kitchen.

"Oh, honey, Layla and Peyton told us all about it. You okay?" Sarah Williams asked as soon as she saw her surrogate daughter. Phoenix nodded. She'd cried things out with Warren. She'd be just fine.


End file.
